...
By Steve Mollman
News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, announced support for the Trump administration's strikes on Iran—dubbed "Operation Epic Fury"—disagreeing with his party’s calls for a war powers vote.
“President Trump has shown time and time again, you NEVER threaten America," the senator wrote on X on Saturday morning. "God Bless our great troops, God Bless President Trump, and God Bless America.”
In a separate post, he wrote in regard for a call for a war powers vote by Congress: “Committed Democrat here. I’m a hard no. My vote is Operation Epic Fury.”
Read More on News
Why It Matters
Fetterman’s responses stood in stark contrast to other Democrats, with Virginia Senator Tim Kaine writing on X that the president "launched an unnecessary, idiotic, and illegal war against Iran that puts America’s servicemembers and embassy personnel at risk. I’m calling on Congress to immediately return to vote on my War Powers Resolution that blocks war with Iran without congressional approval.”
Legal experts have raised concerns about the legality of Trump’s strikes under international and U.S. domestic law, with critics pointing to Congress’s constitutional power to declare war. Under international law, the U.N. Charter bars the use of force by one state against another state except for in the cases of self-defense or if there has been U.N. Security Council authorization. The strikes were not authorized and not an act of self-defense.
Meanwhile, Fetterman has broken ranks with his party before. Earlier this month, he sided with Republicans who disagreed with Democratic demands that ICE agents remove their masks during immigration enforcement operations, calling the potential for agents to be doxed a "serious concern."
What to Know
The U.S. and Israel carried out coordinated attacks on Iranian military and strategic targets early Saturday, describing it as a pre‑emptive operation. Explosions were reported in Tehran amid what the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and U.S. military described as strikes against sites they said posed threats to their security.
President Donald Trump warned Iranians to take shelter, saying in a video message on Saturday, "Bombs will be dropping everywhere."
The attacks mark a sharp escalation following recent nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran and raise the risk of a wider regional conflict. They come as the U.S. has deployed additional warships, aircraft and air defenses to the Middle East in what analysts describe as the largest U.S. buildup there since the Iraq war in 2003.
Iran has repeatedly denied pursuing a nuclear weapon and had engaged in diplomatic talks with the U.S. only days earlier to prevent military conflict.
While Fetterman has backed the strikes, some Republicans have opposed them. Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, wrote on X on Saturday: "I am opposed to this War. This is not 'America First.' When Congress reconvenes, I will work with [Representative Ro Khanna] to force a Congressional vote on war with Iran. The Constitution requires a vote, and your Representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war."
Similarly, Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, wrote on X on Saturday that "the Constitution conferred the power to declare or initiate war to Congress for a reason, to make war less likely," adding that President James Madison "wrote that 'the Executive Branch is the branch most prone to war, therefore, the Constitution, with studied care, delegated the war power to the legislature.' As with all war, my first and purest instinct is wish Americans soldiers safety and success in their mission. But my oath of office is to the Constitution, so with studied care, I must oppose another Presidential war."
Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and critic of Trump, criticized "Operation Epic Fury" in a lengthy post on X on Saturday, calling it a "betrayal" of the president's "America First" promises.
"It feels like the worst betrayal this time because it comes from the very man and the admin who we all believed was different and said no more," she wrote. "Instead, we get a war with Iran on behalf of Israel that will succeed in regime in Iran. Another foreign war for foreign people for foreign regime change. For what?"
...
What People Are Saying
Former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul on X: "Trump is now the 'neocon' that he has ridiculed for all of his public life. Trump has just openly called for regime change in Iran. He is using the American armed forces to facilitate that outcome. This is a complete reversal of what he has been promising his supporters for decades."
President Trump, in a video posted to Truth Social on Saturday: "Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people. Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world."
Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, on X: "The United States has the most capable military in the world. I have complete confidence in our service members, and I’m praying for their safety. The question is never whether they can do the mission. It’s whether the mission makes sense and makes us safer—and what it’s going to cost. The Iranian people deserve freedom. They deserve the right to choose their own leaders. So, what's the plan for what comes next? I don’t think Donald Trump knows the answer, and that’s dangerous when American lives are on the line."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, on X: "The administration has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat. Confronting Iran’s malign regional activities, nuclear ambitions, and harsh oppression of the Iranian people demands American strength, resolve, regional coordination, and strategic clarity. Unfortunately, President Trump’s fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy."
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, on X: "President Trump’s decision to initiate military hostilities into Iran starts another unnecessary war which endangers our servicemembers and destabilizes an already fragile region. The Constitution is clear: decisions that lead our nation into war must be authorized by Congress."
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, on X in part: "In moments of war, our Constitution is unambiguous. Congress authorizes war. The president does not. I will do my part to uphold our Constitution by voting YES on Representative Ro Khanna's and Thomas Massie's War Powers Resolution. Every member of Congress must join us in rejecting this aimless war."
Senator Jon Husted, an Ohio Republican, on X: "For 47 years, the Iranian regime had ample opportunity to be a productive member of the global community. Instead, it chose to export death, terrorism, extremism, and instability against America and our allies. It did all of this while brutally oppressing its own people, who yearned for the freedom and prosperity that they deserve but the regime has refused to deliver. Today, the President took action to address the threat Iran poses to America and global stability. I look forward to being briefed and learning more from the administration in the coming days."
Update 2/28/26, 12:35 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not "both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines