There are a lot of people declaring that the recent strike on Iran was illegal and unconstitutional. That makes for a sharp sound bite. It just doesn’t make for solid constitutional analysis. Before anyone rushes to social media court, it helps to actually read the governing documents.

The U.S. Constitution divides war authority between Congress and the President. Article I, Section 8 gives Congress the power to declare war. Article II names the President Commander in Chief. That tension is not new. It has existed since 1787. The question is not whether Congress can declare war. It can. The question is whether every military strike equals a declared war under constitutional law. History says otherwise.

Congress attempted to clarify this tension after Vietnam with the War Powers Resolution of 1973. It requires a president to notify Congress within 48 hours of introducing forces into hostilities and withdraw them within 60 days unless Congress authorizes continued action.

Every president since its passage has filed reports “consistent with” the Resolution while often disputing its constitutionality. More importantly, nearly every modern president has initiated military strikes without a formal declaration of war. Truman in Korea. Carter in Iran. Reagan in Grenada and Libya. Clinton in Kosovo. Obama in Libya. Trump in Syria. Biden in Syria and Iraq. The United States has not formally declared war since 1942, yet it has conducted dozens of military operations.

Consider Libya in 2011. President Obama ordered U.S. participation in NATO air operations without an Authorization for Use of Military Force. When the 60-day War Powers clock expired, the administration argued that U.S. forces were not engaged in “hostilities” as defined by the Resolution because there were no ground troops and limited exposure to enemy fire. Congress objected loudly. Then it did nothing. No funding cutoff. No binding enforcement action. No impeachment. The operation continued.

If critics today claim that any strike absent a declaration of war is automatically unconstitutional, then they must indict a long line of presidents from both parties. Selective outrage is not constitutional scholarship. It is politics dressed up as principle.

Here is the bottom line. Congress holds the power to declare war and the power of the purse. Presidents command the armed forces. The system was designed with friction built in. If Congress truly believes a president has exceeded authority, it can refuse funding or pass binding legislation. When it does not, that silence carries weight.

Throwing around the word “unconstitutional” without reading the Constitution, the War Powers Resolution, or the historical record is not civic virtue. It is noise.

Proverbs 14:15 reminds us, “The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps.”

Spouting off when you do not know the facts, and simply believing what you are told because it fits your narrative, is not only the height of ignorance. It is the heart of, say it with me, stupidocrisy.

Sources

U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-8/

U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-2/section-2/

War Powers Resolution of 1973 (50 U.S.C. §§ 1541–1548)
https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title50/chapter33&edition=prelim

Congressional Research Service, Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad
https://sgp.fas.org/crs/natsec/R42738.pdf

President Donald Trump delivered what is being described as the longest State of the Union address in American history – a sweeping, unapologetic vision for the country’s future. It struck a confident tone about where America stands and where it is headed.

I was reminded of the optimism that once filled the House chamber during the years of Ronald Reagan when I watched him deliver his State of the Union speeches from the House gallery. There was a similar cadence of resolve. Trump laid out what he described as a year of significant progress despite relentless opposition from major news outlets and nearly unified resistance from congressional Democrats. The theme was unmistakable: America is back and stronger than ever.

Woven neatly with recognition of real Americans to underscore accomplishments, his speech was a ledger of policy victories.

The president cited renewed tax cuts, citing that no Democrat voted for them, drawing visible applause from the Democratic side at that particular line.

He pointed to cooling inflation, stronger job growth, expanded domestic energy production, tightened border enforcement, and new trade leverage abroad.

He referenced rebuilding the military, standing with law enforcement, and accelerating American manufacturing.

He highlighted faith initiatives, parental rights in education, and policies aimed at protecting minors from medical gender transitions without parental consent.

Through much of it, Republicans and guests rose repeatedly. Democrats largely remained seated and stoic.

That contrast became the subtext of the night. Even when Trump called for unity around what he framed as basic responsibilities, such as protecting citizens and defending the nation, there was little visible bipartisan affirmation.

When he asked who believed the first duty of government (as required by the Constitution) is to protect its people, Democrats did not stand or applaud.

When he spoke of banning government-supported gender transitions for minors without parental consent, the silence across the aisle was striking. There were audible murmurs and scattered shouts of “liar.”

When the gold medal–winning American men’s hockey team was recognized, only a handful of Democrats initially rose, and more stood only after the president pointed out their sitting. Sport has long been one of the last refuges of shared pride. Even that felt strained.

The defining moment came when Trump said,

“But surely, we can all agree no state can be allowed to rip children from their parents’ arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents’ will…. We must ban it, and we must ban it immediately…. Look, nobody stands up. These people are crazy…. Democrats are destroying our country, but we’ve stopped it just in the nick of time.”

Strong words in a divided age.

Scripture reminds us of King Achish, who in 1 Samuel 21:15, said of David, “Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence?”

A nation does not need more madness in its councils. It needs wisdom, courage, and leaders who love country more than party.

Sources:

Breitbart: https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/02/24/sotu-livewire-president-trump-addresses-nation-at-pivotal-time-for-economy/

The White House: https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/02/democrats-showed-whose-side-theyre-on-and-its-not-the-american-people-249d/

NPR: https://www.npr.org/2026/02/25/nx-s1-5716159/trump-congress-state-union-read