President Donald Trump’s sudden announcement on Saturday night that U.S. forces had bombed three Iranian nuclear sites has largely brought Republican skeptics of military action into line, while simultaneously drawing sharp condemnation from Democrats who question the legality and wisdom of the strikes.
Initially, the prospect of strikes against Iran had fueled heated debate, with some Republicans advocating for regime change and isolationist voices within the MAGA coalition warning against a full-scale war that would betray Trump’s “America First” stance. However, after the president’s Truth Social post confirming the strikes, several prominent GOP critics quickly voiced their support, framing the action as a limited and necessary measure.
Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and past critic of GOP war hawks, praised Trump, stating on X, “Iran gave President Trump no choice… This is a surgical strike, operated perfectly. President Trump acted with prudence and decisiveness.” Similarly, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who had previously cautioned against a drawn-out Middle East conflict, suggested on X that the strike didn’t necessarily signal a larger war, likening it to the 2020 strike on Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. “President Trump basically wants this to be like the Solimani strike — one and done,” Gaetz wrote, adding, “No regime change war. Trump the Peacemaker!”
Even some Republicans who had expressed doubts about the effectiveness of bombing facilities like Fordow, such as Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, quickly shifted their stance. Sheehy called Saturday’s military action the “right decision,” asserting, “To the naysayers out there, this isn’t starting a war, this is ending one. Iran has been at war with America for 46 years.”
Democrats Challenge Constitutionality and Warn of Escalation
In stark contrast, Democrats largely presented a united front in their opposition, primarily challenging the constitutionality of the president’s actions, even while acknowledging the goal of dismantling Iran’s nuclear program might be positive.
Trump’s revelation that U.S. aircraft had bombed the Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan caught Washington by surprise. Critics, including some allies, quickly argued that Trump lacked the legal authority for such offensive strikes. Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), both top Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees and members of the “Gang of Eight,” reportedly received no briefing before the attacks. Himes sharply tweeted, “According to the Constitution we are both sworn to defend, my attention to this matter comes BEFORE bombs fall. Full stop.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned the strikes as “reckless and unauthorized,” demanding a full classified briefing for Congress and warning of a potential “disastrous war in the Middle East.” He placed “complete and total responsibility for any adverse consequences” squarely on Donald Trump for his “unilateral military action.” While Jeffries and other Democrats were not briefed before the strike, some received perfunctory notifications shortly before Trump’s Truth Social post.
Hawks Applaud, Isolationists Express Discomfort
Meanwhile, hawkish Republicans who had long advocated for robust action against Tehran were quick to applaud. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called the bombing “the right call” and declared, “The regime deserves it.” Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a strong advocate for preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, stated, “Iran has waged a war of terror against the United States for 46 years. We could never allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. God bless our brave troops. President Trump made the right call and the ayatollahs should recall his warning not to target Americans.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson was briefed ahead of the strikes and lauded the action on X as “America First policy in action,” asserting that it “prevents the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism…from obtaining the most lethal weapon on the planet.”
However, the attack did cause distress among some MAGA isolationists. Steve Bannon, a longtime Trump ally wary of U.S. military involvement, was livestreaming when the announcement broke and argued Trump needed to “talk to MAGA” to explain his decision. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a vocal Republican detractor of U.S. involvement in Iran, stated on X, “This is not Constitutional.” He, along with several House Democrats, had even filed a resolution seeking to block U.S. involvement in the conflict. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) echoed similar concerns, tweeting, “While President Trump’s decision may prove just, it’s hard to conceive a rationale that’s Constitutional.”
The ambiguity surrounding the administration’s legal justification for the attack is likely to fuel attempts in Congress to rein in Trump’s executive authority. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) plans to force a vote on his resolution to block action against Iran without congressional authorization, possibly as early as next week. Kaine criticized the decision, noting the American public’s overwhelming opposition to war with Iran and recent Israeli admissions that their bombings had set back Iran’s nuclear program for “at least 2 or 3 years.” He questioned, “So what made Trump recklessly decide to rush and bomb today? Horrible judgment.”
