WASHINGTON, D.C. — Connecticut Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy issued sharp condemnations following President Trump’s announcement that the United States had launched strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran. Both senators criticized the decision as reckless and unlawful, emphasizing the lack of congressional approval and the potential for escalation into a broader conflict.
Senator Blumenthal said while he agrees that a nuclear-armed Iran poses a global threat, the use of American military force must be guided by both strength and strategy. “The Constitution and War Powers Act require every President to inform Congress and seek approval for using American military force. President Trump has done neither,” Blumenthal stated. He called for Senate Republican leadership to bring Senator Tim Kaine’s war powers resolution to the Senate floor and urged the administration to explain its strategy to both Congress and the American public. “My immediate concern is protection for our 40,000 troops and other personnel in the region,” he added.
Senator Murphy echoed those concerns, characterizing the strikes as illegal and politically driven. “Donald Trump, a weak and dangerously reckless president, has put the United States on a path to a war in the Middle East that the country does not want, the law does not allow, and our security does not demand,” Murphy said. He denounced the influence of what he called “cheerleaders of war” and stated there is no intelligence indicating Iran posed an imminent threat. “Only Congress can declare preemptive war,” Murphy said, calling for an immediate vote to block further unauthorized military action.