Today, I issued the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s threat against Iran that “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.” “President Trump launched his war against Iran promising to liberate its 93 million people from a tyrannical regime. Today, he threatened to annihilate them. The President is struggling after plunging the United States into a war without any strategy or clear objectives—and he is now recklessly threatening to commit atrocities and war crimes. It is cruel and a stain on our nation. “This is unhinged saber rattling that follows consistent threats over the past week to violate international law. The President is using the might of the United States military to wage war without constitutionally mandated approval from Congress. “Until Congress reasserts itself as a co-equal branch of government, he will remain unchecked and the security of our nation will continue to be at risk. “At every step in this unconstitutional war, President Trump has made the situation more dangerous and Americans less safe. A key aim of the war is now to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a humiliating loss since the war is the reason the strait is closed to begin with. The President has not adequately explained why Americans are fighting and dying as reasons shift and threats continue to escalate. “Enough is enough. This war must end and we must repair the self-inflicted damage to our nation’s credibility, economy, and readiness to defend itself. Congressional leadership must act now, and turn to a chapter of diplomacy that can move this troubled region and our world forward.”
