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Amid ongoing hostilities with Iran, Democrats ignored previous calls from some of their party’s leaders to “reject illegal orders” to the U.S. armed forces, even as they broadly said President Donald Trump’s use of the military without lawmaker approval is at an unsustainable level.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said, “The soldiers are in no way to blame for this illegal war. Responsibility lies solely with the President.”
D-Fla. Representative Darren Soto said, “We always support the troops. They are following orders.” “This is about debating whether we should be there or not.”
The comments come just months after six members of Congress with military backgrounds urged service members to disregard unconstitutional instructions.
GOP blocks Booker-led effort to curb Trump’s military power in Iran
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 27: U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) speaks to the press outside the Senate Chambers after voting at the U.S. Capitol on February 27, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Senate will negotiate the budget after the House passes the spending bill on February 25, 2025. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images) (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
“You must reject illegal orders,” Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said. “Don’t abandon ship.”
The six lawmakers include: Slotkin, Senator Representative Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. Rep. Chris DeLuzio, D-Pa. Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H.; Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa. Jason Crow, D-Colo.
Asked what those calls meant in the context of the conflict with Iran, lawmakers did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
A month into the war with Iran – can Washington define victory?
Efforts to pass a war powers resolution that would curb Trump’s military powers in Iran have failed amid a sharp partisan divide over whether the president’s actions fall within what the Constitution allows without congressional approval.
A war powers resolution that would have forced Trump to remove US troops from Iran failed in the House of Representatives on Thursday by a vote of 213-214.
Democrats, citing the War Powers Act of 1973, note that the law requires the president to get approval from lawmakers before engaging in a conflict that could last up to 60 days.
Fetterman, who is breaking ties with the Democrats, says Trump’s military attacks on Iran have ‘made the world safer’
A plume of smoke rises from the strike site in Tehran on the morning of March 28, 2026. (Atta Kenare/AFP)
“The president says this is a ‘tour’ when it’s not,” Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., said. “We have to call it what it is. It’s a war.”
Republicans and other supporters of conflict have noted that war with Iran has not yet reached that level.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined Republicans in refuting challenges to the president’s authority.
Democrats threaten to shut down the Senate to force public Iran hearings
“I’m the only Democrat who has supported Epic Fury,” Fetterman said, referring to the operational name of the Iran conflict.
He added, “And now we’re 48 days into it. There’s nothing illegal about any of this.”
Still, Democrats have criticized the president for dragging the country into a conflict that they say is far from any meaningful solution.
Blumenthal called on the administration to provide lawmakers with more information about the status of the conflict and a possible timeline for resolution.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks to a reporter as he arrives at the U.S. Capitol for a vote on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)
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Blumenthal said, “One of the complaints – and this is bipartisan – we have no accurate information about how the blockade is going, what the cost of the war is, even in a classified setting.”
Although Trump has said that talks between the US and Iran are working toward ending the conflict once and for all, it is unclear whether ceasefire talks will lead to a permanent end to hostilities.
