In the past week, the relationship between Iran and the U.S. has grown even more complicated and tense than it has been in previous years. On Feb. 28, Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed in Israeli and American joint air strikes. United States President Donald Trump then announced that the U.S. is at war with Iran, and has since continued to foster the relationship between the U.S. and Israel. This is a complex issue, and it is significantly a lot more nuanced and historied than these events alone.
Regardless, one of the biggest questions remaining is whether this act of war was constitutional. Did Trump have the ability to declare war on Iran without any oversight or insight from Congress? While the answer might initially feel clear cut, it once again has proven much more complicated upon further examination.
This is not the first time a U.S. president has taken military action and declared war without the approval of Congress. In fact, the last president to declare war with congressional approval was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942, when the U.S. entered World War II.
What does this say about the role of the president when it comes to war, and how does this differ from what the founding fathers had in mind? When the Constitution was written, the consensus was that war was to be avoided at all costs, but may be deemed necessary if given a great enough cause. Now it seems as though war is not to be avoided, but serves as a political tool, functioning as a way of maintaining political relationships in spite of the costs of human life on both sides. Without congressional approval, how can the President of the United States of America truly represent his constituents, especially when he ran on a campaign against war?
It is important to consider that Trump currently has a fairly low approval rating, and the early stages of war often create higher approval ratings. While this is one possible explanation for what may seem like an abrupt decision to enter a war with Iran, the American people can only hope that there is more of an explanation and that the decision was not solely made to strengthen the relationship between Israel and the United States. Although entering war without congressional approval might have become standard precedent due to previous presidents, it does not mean that it should continue to occur. The United States needs a system that not only protects its people but also serves in their interest and listens to their concerns.
