Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said that the evidence that Trump presented to the Senate does not support his claim that an attack was imminent.
Sen. Van Hollen tweeted:
Here’s the unclassified version of what Trump sent Congress after the hit on Suleimani.
From all we’ve seen, including the redacted parts here and the briefing, the facts do not show an imminent threat.
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We must pass a bill making clear Trump can’t start a war without a vote. pic.twitter.com/mUnkLwsph1
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) January 9, 2020
It is difficult to get the left and the right to agree on anything, but one point of agreement on both sides of the aisle is that the briefing to Congress from the Trump administration was an insulting joke.
Senators have accused the administration of being patronizing and called it the worst briefing that they have ever received.
The conclusion one draws based on the reactions of members of Congress is that Trump didn’t brief the Legislative Branch before his strike on Soleimani because they would have objected due to a lack of evidence.
There is a growing movement in Congress to limit Trump’s war powers. By trying to distract America from impeachment with a foreign policy crisis, Trump has turned Congress and the country against his attack on Iran.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association