Donald Trump speaks with the media prior to departing from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., May 1, 2026. SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images In his latest instance on constitutional arson, President Donald Trump informed reporters on Friday that it would actually be against the foundational laws of the nation to ask Congress to authorize the war in Iran.
“No other country has ever done it,” Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House ahead of his departure to Florida for the weekend, in response to a question about whether he is going to seek congressional authorization for the war now that it has been going on for 60 days. “Most people consider it totally unconstitutional. No other country has done it. We’re in the midst of a big victory.”
Trump claims it's unconstitutional to seek congressional authorization for war pic.twitter.com/W2rnTOXbDn
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 1, 2026
The Constitution is crystal clear: Congress holds the power to “declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water.” While presidents have taken a loose interpretation of what counts as war and what counts as an authorization, there is no question as to what branch of government has the power to authorize armed conflict. Congress has formally declared war 11 times in U.S. history, including World War I and World War II.
The reporter who asked Trump about seeking congressional approval brought up that the war was now two months old for a reason. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 holds that if Congress doesn’t authorize the use of force against another nation within 60 days of when it is first initiated, the president must terminate the use of force. Trump is trying to skirt the law by informing Congress that the conflict is over, maintaining that operations halted when the two countries agreed to a temporary ceasefire in early April.
