King Donald Rushes Off to War

March 4, 2026

Many people are speculating about how Donald Trump’s assault on Iran might reshape the Middle East. Let’s focus today on how this war is changing the United States and its place in the world.

We can all agree that the Islamic Republic is an evil, tyrannical and murderous regime that has oppressed its own people and menaced its neighbors. But that does not give the United States the right to launch a pre-emptive attack in violation of international law.

On the domestic front, Trump has launched a major war without trying to rally public opinion, which is overwhelmingly opposed to attacking Iran. Trump has not sought approval from Congress, violating the Constitution. He is acting like a tyrant who wields absolute power. American democracy could be one of the casualties of this unnecessary war.

The President has turned the US into a rogue state. He and Pete Hegseth, his “Secretary of War”, have nothing but contempt for international law. Like a band of vigilantes, they roam around the world attacking countries and civilians as they see fit. Rules are for weaklings.

The assault on Iran is the latest in a series of blatantly illegal attacks: killing civilians on the high seas and kidnapping a foreign leader. Trump’s rationale for starting the war is not credible, and it will deepen Americans’ distrust of their government.

Unlike previous Administrations, Trump and Hegseth have not tried to enlist America’s allies in the attack on Iran. Instead, Hegseth has heaped scorn on them, ridiculing their concerns about respecting international law and rules of engagement. Our allies must wonder, who’s next? Cuba? Greenland?

The Legacy of Vietnam and Iraq

The wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan inflicted long-term, toxic side effects on the US. In each case, the government lied to the public about the reasons for entering the conflict and its “success” in conducting the war. These searing experiences eroded Americans’ trust in government…and sparked important political movements.

The Vietnam War created a backlash against the establishment. This movement had positive aspects, such as the drive to expand women’s rights, and negative ones, such as disdain for the military and profound cynicism about politicians.

The disasters in Iraq and Afghanistan fed the anger against the political elite that lied to Americans about weapons of mass destruction and dragged the country into two “forever wars”. Many Americans’ faith in public institutions withered.

These misadventures, combined with the impoverishment of many working-class communities, contributed to the rise of the Tea Party and MAGA movements. In an ironic twist, Trump blamed Obama and Biden for these wars, even though George W. Bush, a Republican, had started them.

Dissing the Public…and Congress

Previous Presidents made huge efforts to convince the public and Congress to support their wars in Vietnam and the Middle East, even if their arguments were misleading or false. President Lyndon Johnson and George W. Bush lobbied Congress to issue resolutions authorizing them to take military action, and legislators complied.

Johnson and Bush sought Congressional approval for political cover, of course. But they also were following the Constitution, which grants Congress, not the President, the exclusive power to declare war, in Article 1, Section 8.

However, Trump did not even try to sway public opinion before he started the war. In his State of the Union address, he barely mentioned Iran, dedicating only 3 minutes to the topic. He has simply ignored Congress, neither seeking its authorization nor consulting with legislators before launching his massive airstrikes.

No Public Debate

Going to war is one of a President’s gravest, most risky decisions. That is precisely why the Constitution vests the power to declare war in Congress, not in the executive branch. A President and his officials must make their case to legislators and face their questions and criticism. Congress and the American people have the right to scrutinize the rationale for waging war, so the nation does not blindly embark on a disastrous venture.

We have not had that debate. Trump did not and does not have a mandate to attack Iran. Instead, he dismissed the public’s clear desire to avoid war with Iran. He trusted his “gut” and indulged his authoritarian instincts, rather than engage in the back-and-forth with the voters and their representatives that is the hallmark of a democracy.

Central Tehran/photo: Getty Images

Americans Do Not Support the War

Before the hostilities broke out, about half (49%) of Americans opposed attacking Iran, and only 27% supported military action against the country. That’s according to a YouGov poll released on February 24, a few days before the airstrikes began.

Opposition to the war grew after it erupted, according to a CNN poll conducted last weekend (February 28-March 1).

The poll found that:

· 59% of Americans disapprove of the strikes, with 31% strongly disapproving

· 41% approve, with only 16% strongly approving

· 60% think Trump does not have a clear plan for the war

· 62% think he should get Congressional approval for any further action

If Trump expects most Americans to “rally round the flag” and support his war, he may be sorely disappointed. That could spell even more trouble for Republican candidates in the midterm elections.

The partisan divide on the war is very sharp:

· 77% of Republicans approve

· 18% of Democrats approve

· 32% of independents approve

According to CNN, MAGA Republicans are 30 points more likely than non-MAGA Republicans to favor the war. This is somewhat surprising. The MAGA crowd follows the President like lemmings, of course, but what happened to their “America First” agenda? Is Marjorie Taylor Greene the only MAGA type who feels betrayed by Trump’s unleashing the dogs of war?

No Comparison with Clinton, Obama Airstrikes

Trump’s defenders justify his unprovoked attacks by pointing to airstrikes ordered by Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. It is true that they did not request Congressional approval for those assaults. However, their airstrikes were limited in scope and duration, and they were carried out to save civilians, not to destroy a regime.

In 1995 Clinton ordered airstrikes against Bosnian Serb troops to lift the siege of Sarajevo during the civil war in Yugoslavia. In 2011 Obama intervened to prevent Muammar Gaddafi’s forces from massacring civilians in Benghazi, Libya.

A Bewildering “Rationale” for War

Trump attempted to explain his rationale for attacking Iran in an eight-minute video he released shortly after the first wave of airstrikes. His remarks were contradictory and confusing. His main argument was that the US would never allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon (which has always been our policy).

But then the President said:

“That is why in Operation Midnight Hammer last June, we obliterated (emphasis added) the regime’s nuclear program at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. After that attack, we warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons, and we sought repeatedly to make a deal. “

Here’s the fundamental flaw in Trump’s argument. If the US “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities, how can it still pose an imminent threat to the US? What is the reason for attacking Iran now?

Perhaps Trump (and Hegseth) are making that argument because it sounds better than “Bibi told me to do it”. The New York Times has reported that in February President Benjamin Netanyahu convinced Trump to attack Iran in How Trump Decided to Go to War.

Trump and Hegseth have asserted that the Iranians were not serious about the negotiations that preceded the war. But if Trump had made up his mind in mid-February, were Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner negotiating in good faith with the Iranians? Or were they stalling for time so the US could build up its forces in the Middle East?

A Man of Destiny…or a Megalomaniac?

Trump also sees himself as a Man of Destiny. Unlike his predecessors, especially, in his view, Joe Biden, Trump says he has the guts to take tough decisions and attack America’s enemies. In his video, Trump invited the Iranian people to overthrow their tyrannical government…while emphasizing his courage and strength:

“For many years, you have asked for America’s help. But you never got it. No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want. So let’s see how you respond.”

Hegseth, Strutter-in-Chief

Pete Hegseth, “Secretary of War” and Strutter-in-Chief, tried to set forth a more detailed rationale for the war in a press conference on March 2. Hegseth did not give a professional, objective briefing on the status of the military operation. He left that to General Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Hegseth delivered a speech that would have been appropriate for a campaign rally, full of praise for Trump (“our president has guts”) and propaganda lines (“Crazy regimes like Iran hell-bent on prophetic Islamist delusions cannot have nuclear weapons”). But like his boss, Hegseth failed to put forth a convincing case for attacking Iran.

Hegseth’s key line was, “Iran was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions” (emphasis added). But a minute later, he crowed that the US and Israeli airstrikes last summer “obliterated their nuclear program to rubble”. If that is the case, wouldn’t it have taken a long time for Iran to rebuild its facilities and pursue its “ambitions”?

Contempt for Allies and International Law

Hegseth praised Israel and poured scorn on America’s other allies. He criticized the US’ NATO allies as faint-hearted souls who are too worried about international law:

“Israel has clear missions as well for which we are grateful…capable partners are good partners, unlike so many of our traditional allies who wring their hands and clutch their pearls, hemming and hawing about the use of force.”

The condescending reference to pearl-clutching must be particularly galling to European leaders and their senior military commanders. Furthermore, it is disturbing that Hegseth heaped praise on Israel, which has killed tens of thousands of civilians in its scorched-earth campaign in Gaza. The International Criminal Court has instituted proceedings against Netanyahu and a former Israeli Defense Minister concerning possible war crimes in Gaza.

Hegseth: Warrior or Outlaw?

Hegseth has talked a lot about the “warrior ethos” that he is promoting in the military. Hegseth claims that under previous (Democratic) administrations, the top brass became too cautious, too intent on following rules, not “lethal” enough. After trashing the US’ NATO allies in his press conference, Hegseth took on other critics…as well as restrictions on the military:

“America, regardless of what so-called international institutions say, is unleashing the most lethal and precise air power campaign in history… All on our terms with maximum authorities. (emphasis added). No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy building exercise, no politically correct wars. We fight to win, and we don’t waste time or lives.”

Hegseth is no doubt referring to the UN, the Vatican and other organizations that have deplored the US’ pre-emptive strikes against Iran. When Hegseth talks about “stupid rules of engagement”, he is probably thinking of procedures that the Obama Administration put in place in Iraq and Afghanistan that tightened requirements for getting permission to attack targets. Soldiers did complain about overly stringent rules of engagement, and in some cases, they may have been excessive.

However, we should remember why the Obama Administration reined in the military. In Afghanistan, in particular, airstrikes killed large numbers of civilians, which caused many Afghans to turn against the US and the government in Kabul. Obama and his team realized that they had to institute more controls to reduce civilian casualties …or they would lose the support of most Afghans for the war.

Hegseth does not seem concerned about such “collateral damage”, as the military blandly calls civilian casualties. However, the tragic bombing of a girls’ school in an Iranian city over the weekend proves once again that rules of engagement are not “stupid”. They are necessary for a civilized society and a disciplined military.

And remember, when Hegseth criticized nation-building and democracy building exercises, he was referring to wars that Republican President George W. Bush started. Barack Obama had the bad luck to inherit them.

What Can You Do?

Unlike the long-suffering Iranians, we have enjoyed the right to choose our leaders and to vote against policies we oppose. However, Donald Trump seems to have forgotten that he is supposed to serve the American people, not to rule like a monarch.

But so far, you still live in a democracy. Remind Trump that you are a citizen, not a subject. Join the protests on the next No Kings Day, March 28. Support Democratic candidates in your district and those competing in key races in other states.

And support Democratic leaders like Chuck Schumer as they condemn Trump’s reckless war.

The Wall Street Democrat