Pres. Trump Says War Powers Act Is Unconstitutional – and He Has No Intention of Following It

Friday is the supposed 60-day deadline for Trump to ask Congress to authorize continued military action in Iran, but he didn’t do so for two reasons

He considers the War Powers Act of 1973, which requires a commander in chief to get congressional approval or a formal declaration of war 60 days after notifying Congress that hostilities have broken out, to be an unconstitutional constraint on presidential power,

And

According to him, the conflict has not actually lasted 60 days because a ceasefire has been in effect since April 7, and he considers the war all but “terminated.”

Watch (and note that CBS News’ take on it reads like some writer was a little peeved):

President Trump is apparently not going to abide by the 60-day limit for a president to get congressional approval for a war.

"Let me just tell you, on the war powers, so many presidents, as you know, have gone and exceeded it," Mr. Trump said while departing the White House for… pic.twitter.com/LRRfXwzjf7
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 1, 2026

President Trump is apparently not going to abide by the 60-day limit for a president to get congressional approval for a war.
"Let me just tell you, on the war powers, so many presidents, as you know, have gone and exceeded it," Mr. Trump said while departing the White House for Florida on Friday. "It's never been used. It's never been adhered to. And every other president considered it totally unconstitutional. And we agree with that."

MORE: Iran Makes Another Offer - Trump Isn’t Impressed

Big Mouth, Empty Hands: Iran Defies US While Choking on Sanctions

He said in a Friday letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-04) that, despite not asking for authorization, he’s been working with Congress all along and will continue to do so to keep the American people safe:

"But we're always in touch with Congress. But nobody's ever saw it before. Nobody's ever asked for it before. It's never been used before. Why should we be different?"

He's done what he's required to do, he argued:

Trump outlined the administration's position in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Friday, saying he had acted "consistent with my responsibility to protect Americans and further the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States."

The letter, submitted under the War Powers Act, detailed the timeline of the operation and noted that a ceasefire has been in place since April 7, but did not seek congressional authorization to continue the conflict. He noted the hostilities that began Feb. 28 "have been terminated."

🚨 IT'S OFFICIAL: President Trump informs Congress he does NOT NEED any war authorization for Iran under the War Powers Act — which he considers unconstitutional — because hostilities ended when the ceasefire began

Trump told Speaker Johnson and Sen. Grassley he will CONTINUE… pic.twitter.com/wJMfLOdcDn
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 1, 2026

🚨 IT'S OFFICIAL: President Trump informs Congress he does NOT NEED any war authorization for Iran under the War Powers Act — which he considers unconstitutional — because hostilities ended when the ceasefire began
Trump told Speaker Johnson and Sen. Grassley he will CONTINUE positioning forces in the region as needed for national security
The DEMOCRATS just don't want Trump negotiating from a position of strength!
They are AIDING OUR ENEMIES

The Left and the media are already enraged over this latest Trump maneuver, but we’ll just have to see in the upcoming days if there’s anything they can do about it besides posting angry tweets. For now, at least, the president is snubbing his nose at their interpretation of the Act and his responsibilities under it — and he didn’t sound like a man who would undergo a change of heart anytime soon, even if hostilities do resume.

Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.

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