Trump Says Twitter Feed About U.S. Airstrike In Iran Acts As ‘Notification’ To Congress

President Donald Trump tweeted that the United States would retaliate quickly if targeted by Iran and implied that Congress can stay in the loop by following his Twitter.

“These Media Posts will serve as notification to the United States Congress that should Iran strike any U.S. person or target, the United States will quickly & fully strike back, & perhaps in a disproportionate manner,” Trump tweeted on Sunday. “Such legal notice is not required, but is given nevertheless!”

The War Powers Act of 1973 allows Trump 48 hours before he is legally obligated of notifying Congress of initiating any hostile action, a classification that the targeted killing of Gen. Qasem Soleimani would fit.

The Jan. 3 killing shocked congressmen, who are still demanding further explanation.

“It’s very appropriate that we be asking for this evidence,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) told CNN. “After all, the administration’s story on this keeps shifting … they have provided no evidence to Congress that there was an imminent threat.”

Congress was notified Saturday, within the 48 hour window.

However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey) argued that the White House’s classified notification should be made public.

“It is critical that national security matters of such import be shared with the American people in a timely manner,” they wrote in a letter to Trump. “An entirely classified notification is simply not appropriate in a democratic society.” They asked that the notification be declassified “in full.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) said Sunday the House would vote this week on a war powers resolution to limit the Trump’s military actions in Iran.

In a letter to House Democrats, Pelosi said the airstrike was “provocative and disproportionate” and had “endangered our servicemembers, diplomats and others by risking a serious escalation of tensions with Iran.”

Article by Katherine Huggins