U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., slammed President Donald Trump for Saturday’s strikes in Iran without seeking congressional approval and questioned whether the commander-in-chief is “lying” to the American public about the scope and purported success of the military operation.
“It’s not optional, Donald,” said Jeffries at a Monday press conference on the constitutional authority of Congress to declare war, not long after Iran launched retaliatory missiles against an air base in Qatar, where thousands of U.S. troops are stationed.
Noting Trump’s previous claim that he would seek diplomacy, not force, and allow the conflict in the Middle East to play out for two weeks before deciding on involving the U.S. military, Jeffries said, “He lied to the American people.”
The Democratic leader of the U.S. House of Representatives continued, “[He] turned around and, without congressional authorization, launched an attack that does risk the possibility of further United States entanglement that will cost us trillions of dollars and thousnads of lives if it goes the way of the failed war in Iraq and the challenges that we had over a 20-year period of time in Afghanistan.”
Jeffries particularly called out Trump’s decision in 2018 to pull the U.S. out of the international agreement brokered by former President Barack Obama with Iran to limit its nuclear development program in exchange for lifting sanctions on Iran and other countries doing business with Iran. The Democrat said Trump’s decision to pull out “set this whole situation that we’re in right now into motion.”
“Everyone agreed that Iran was complying with the agreement that had been reached, which had its flaws, but was working as it had intended, to significantly push back Iran’s capacity to break out and develop a nuclear weapon,” he explained.
“Donald Trump comes into office, and because he’s such a hater, particularly as it relates to all things Barack Obama, he pulls out of the agreement, even though Donald Trump’s own administration, his own national security apparatus, his own Department of Defense, confirmed repeatedly that Iran was adhering to the agreement when Barack Obama was president and when Donald Trump was president.”
Since the Trump administration announced “Operation Midnight Hammer,” the president said the U.S. strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. However, recent reporting indicates Iran may have relocated its uranium enrichment ahead of the strikes and Trump officials concede they’re not sure how effective the strikes were, instead claiming the strikes caused “severe damage.”
Some Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., have suggested that Trump be impeached for sidestepping Congress and putting the nation’s troops and citizens at risk of Iranian retaliation.
“It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment,” said Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive member of the Democratic Party.
When asked about grounds for impeachment, Jeffries demurred.
“A tool that’s on the table right now is to continue to demand that the administration present itself before the United States Congress and make the case to the American people as to why this extraordinary step had been taken,” said the Democratic leader. He also showed support for a proposed bipartisan congressional resolution that would “terminate the use” of U.S. armed forces from Iran unless authorized by Congress.
When pressed further on whether he thought Trump should face impeachment charges, Jeffries added, “This is a dangerous moment that we’re in, and we’ve got to get through what’s in front of us.”
