RAND PAUL: Trump Does Not Have The Authority To Declare War
“The Constitution says the prerogative to declare war, the power to declare war, is solely from the Congress,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) told Fox News Digital. “It can’t originate from the White House. There is no constitutional authority for the president to bomb anyone without asking permission first.”
“There’s really no argument for why he couldn’t obey the Constitution,” Paul said. “Now, my hope is that he won’t do it, his instincts for restraint would prevail.”
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) disagreed with Paul and said he believed Trump had the ability to authorize a strike but acknowledged it was “mixed” and “clouded” when factoring in the War Powers Act.
“It’s clear that both Congress and the president have a role to play,” he said. “But if you’re suggesting, should the president come to Congress first making that decision, it’s conditioned upon what year you want Congress to make a decision. Sometimes it takes us months, even years, to get nothing done.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters he believed Trump was “perfectly in his right to do what he’s done so far” and reiterated that the ultimate goal was to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon.
The Constitution divides war powers between Congress and the White House, giving lawmakers the sole power to declare war, while the president acts as the commander in chief, directing the military, Fox News reported.