Lawmaker Blasts ‘Ineffectual Mike Johnson’ and Trump Over Iran Strike: ‘No Clear Strategy’
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) unleashed criticism on President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) Saturday morning, following a U.S. military strike in collaboration with Israel against Iran. Moulton expressed frustration over the absence of discussions regarding Congress reconvening to vote on a war powers resolution.
“Not under the completely ineffectual Mike Johnson. He will be remembered as the weakest speaker in American history, and he’s not even considering calling us back,” Moulton stated during an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “There are some members of Congress, including a few Republicans, advocating for a vote on a war powers resolution next week. But that’s a week too late.”
On Saturday, Trump announced “major combat operations in Iran,” which the defense department dubbed “Operation Epic Fury,” urging the Iranian populace to “take over” their government in a bid for regime change.
Trump defended the military action, asserting that Iran was persistently advancing its nuclear program and developing missiles capable of reaching the U.S.
“There’s no strategy behind what we’re doing,” Moulton remarked. “He can’t even clearly communicate to the American people, and thus to our troops, what objective they’re aiming to achieve.”
The president's announcement elicited mixed reactions; some lauded the operation while others condemned the lack of Congressional authorization.
Johnson mentioned that key Congressional leaders, referred to as “The Gang of 8,” were briefed earlier this week about potential military actions “to safeguard American troops and citizens in Iran.”
Following the operation, Trump cautioned that “the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties.”
“That often occurs in war. But we’re not doing this for now. We’re doing this for the future. And it is a noble mission,” he added.
Moulton conveyed to Blitzer that he and other Congressional members “should be authorizing this,” warning that “this sounds an awful lot like it could be Iraq War, 2.0.”
“The President didn’t even attempt to clarify that this was merely a limited strike. He explicitly stated this is war. These are major combat operations, and according to the Constitution, Congress must vote on whether or not we send American troops into war,” Moulton asserted.
He further criticized Trump, suggesting that “It seems the only person Trump seeks permission from is Benjamin Netanyahu.”
“He hasn’t consulted the American people. He hasn’t asked the U.S. Congress. He simply received the green light from Benjamin Netanyahu, and now we’re at war,” Moulton concluded.
