Washington D.C. — In a decision that’s reignited fierce debate over presidential war powers, former U.S. President Donald Trump authorized military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities Saturday night — but informed only top Republican lawmakers before the attack, bypassing leading Democrats until after the operation was underway.

Multiple sources familiar with the situation confirmed that House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, both Republicans, received advance notice of the strikes. In contrast, Democratic leaders — including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — were only informed shortly before the strikes were publicly disclosed.

Senior Democrats on the congressional intelligence committees, such as Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Jim Himes, were also left out of the loop until the mission had concluded, raising alarms about transparency and executive overreach.

Predictably, the response to the strikes has largely followed party lines.

Republicans, who were briefed ahead of time, quickly rallied around the former president. Speaker Johnson praised Trump’s unilateral action as “necessary, limited, and targeted,” emphasizing the urgency of the situation. “The Commander-in-Chief evaluated that the imminent danger outweighed the time it would take for Congress to act,” Johnson posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Within hours, dozens of Republican lawmakers voiced support for the strikes, framing them as a measured response to escalating threats from Tehran.

However, dissent was not absent within GOP ranks. A small group of Republican lawmakers — including Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie and Ohio Rep. Warren Davidson — raised constitutional concerns. “This is not Constitutional,” Massie declared, signaling his intention to push for a House vote to restrict Trump’s war powers.

Davidson, a former Army Ranger, echoed that sentiment, warning that Congress has "surrendered its power over war" and must reclaim its constitutional authority.

Democratic leaders, blindsided by the strike, reacted with fury. Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner blasted the Trump administration for acting “without consulting Congress, without a clear strategy, [and] without regard to the consistent conclusions of the intelligence community.”

Calling for immediate hearings, Warner demanded the former president explain the rationale for risking a potentially broader conflict. “The American people deserve more than vague rhetoric and unilateral decisions,” he said.

Sen. Tim Kaine, also of Virginia, pledged to reintroduce a resolution requiring congressional approval for military actions against Iran. “I will push for all Senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war,” Kaine stated.

Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois called the move “an impeachable offense,” while Rep. Jeffries warned that the U.S. military could now face severe retaliation, saying: “President Trump misled the country about his intentions.”

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders joined the criticism, labeling the strikes “grossly unconstitutional,” and demanded full transparency from the White House.

The lack of notification to the full “Gang of Eight” — the bipartisan group of top congressional leaders and intelligence committee chairs — has deepened Democratic frustration. Traditionally, the executive branch consults this group before major military action.

A White House official claimed some lawmakers received “courtesy heads-ups,” but did not clarify the partisan imbalance in briefings.

Tensions are expected to escalate in the coming days as both chambers of Congress prepare to debate Trump’s authority to launch military action without prior approval. Resolutions challenging the president’s war powers are already in motion in both the House and Senate.

While the GOP largely closed ranks behind the former president, divisions are emerging. Aside from Massie and Davidson, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed concerns about U.S. involvement in yet another foreign conflict.

“Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in another foreign war,” Greene posted. She criticized Israeli involvement and questioned why U.S. troops should be placed in harm’s way.

After the strikes, she called for prayers for American forces, while warning of possible domestic repercussions: “Let us pray that we are not attacked by terrorists on our homeland after our border was open for the past 4 years.”

Yet not all Democrats opposed the strikes. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania broke with his party, posting on X, “This was the correct move... Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities.”

WafricNews will continue to monitor developments as Congress takes up the urgent question: who holds the power to lead the nation into war?


By WafricNews Desk.