May Day Clock Ticks on Trump Iran War Under War Powers Act

Heather Cox Richardson argues that today’s 60-day deadline under the 1973 War Powers Act for President Trump to obtain congressional authorization for his Iran conflict arrives as the White House maintains a military buildup and a port blockade despite Trump’s claim that hostilities began February 28 and terminated April 7. Richardson contends this maneuver skirts constitutional authority and UN charter obligations, highlighting how past presidents honored the War Powers clock and invoking Hamilton’s Federalist No. 26 and Eisenhower’s Law Day reminder to value the rule of law over executive power.