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Posted on 03/06/2026 5:27:04 AM PST by RandFan
Once war begins and American soldiers are under fire, a rational discussion of the pros and cons of war becomes nearly impossible. That is exactly why our Founders wrote a Constitution that demands a debate before the initiation of war.
But there was no debate in Congress, let alone a vote. On Feb. 28, Americans awoke to discover that their country was once again embroiled in a war in the Middle East.
Americans were not asked if they would bear the burdens of war. Instead, the American people were told, through a presidential eight-minute video posted around 2:30 in the morning, that the country was, once again, at war.
And because there was no national discussion about going to war, we do not know whether ground troops will be used. We have no idea how long the war will last. We have no idea who will lead Iran after the death of the supreme leader. And we have no idea how many casualties the American people are supposed to tolerate. We cannot know the answer to these questions because no one bothered to make the case that war with Iran was worth the sacrifice.
The Senate is only now debating whether hostilities should end after they’ve already begun. Before I discuss the merits of this war, I want to say that my prayers, and those of my family, are with the troops in the region, those in combat and anyone who may be called to serve.
I do not take lightly that combat has begun, that many have been severely injured, and that lives have been lost.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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Epic fail, instead of cut and pasting bad history from stupid websites actually do your research.
You will find Jefferson’s first Barbary War against Tripoli was WITHOUT a formal declaration of war from Congress, he believed that the Constitution allowed it, even when Congress had not explicitly supported it.
Since you apparently like web history so much:
https://freedomsfoundry.com/2013/09/07/presidential-war-powers-and-the-first-barbary-war-1801/
Technically, this is an “operation” (Operation Epic Fury), not a war. You can debate the dichotomy, but the difference has been accepted by and used by multiple administrations on both sides of the aisle for decades.
Further, it could be very fairly argued that our actions were not preemptive but instead are justifiable self defense in that Iran has been attacking us in various ways for 47 years - causing the deaths of many Americans. By declaring ‘death to America’ they have been making their intentions clear - which is why they do not have the ‘right’ to pursue nuclear weapons. No amount of obtuse rhetoric or rationalization can obscure the facts that they are a repressive regime who have killed their own people, exported terror, threatened multiple nations, and seek nuclear weapons to help back up their threats.
Look around, RAND.
The enemy is within America’s borders. TRUMP is putting a stop to more infiltrating into our nation. Get your head out of the sand.
Time for RAND to go. He is a fossil.
People wanted a person who would work FOR the United States of America in every way possible. We got what we wanted.
Nope, there are congresscritters that would leak operational information just to spite this president.
Total grandstander.
People who are paying attention are getting tired of it.
America has been at war with IRAN since 1979...
Whether anyone wants to admit it or not
So Trump is putting an end to a forever war started by the CIA in a different administration. Works for me.
You can parse Trump’s campaign slogans and Twitter/X messages all you want, but I can say with a high degree of confidence that if American voters knew in advance that he would have the U.S. involved in a hot military campaign in February 2026, he would have gotten his ass kicked by Kamala Harris in 2024.
The CIA is polluted with people who were around long before Trump was here, and will still be there long after he's gone.
No doubt, but IMHO, Trump is doing the right thing for our country. We haven’t been respected in a long time. That is changing. No more wimps like Rand Paul needed.
I have no interest in a foreign policy that could have been drafted by Lindsey Graham and John Bolton.
What if Jimmy Carter went on TV and declared November 4, 1979 to be a "date which will live in infamy?"
-PJ
You'd have to be delusional to believe him.
I've been his biggest fan, but there's a downside to running a political campaign that is based on outlandish claims and complete B.S.
Mexico isn't paying for the wall (I knew they wouldn't).
The tariffs weren't going to raise a bazillion dollars (I knew they wouldn't).
And Trump was never going to order Bowe Bergdahl to be tossed out of a C-130 from an altitude of 20,000 feet (I was hoping, but I kind of knew he wouldn't).
President Donald J. Trump has been unequivocal and consistent for decades: Iran will never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon. This position — rooted in longstanding, bipartisan American policy — guides his actions to ensure the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism cannot threaten the world with nuclear devastation.
“After Midnight Hammer, they were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program, and in particular nuclear weapons, yet they continue. They’re starting it all over… One thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon.” (2/24/26)
“They can’t have nuclear weapons. It’s very simple. You can’t have peace in the Middle East if they have a nuclear weapon. And they can’t have a nuclear weapon, and they’ve been told that very strongly.” (2/19/26)
“We don’t want any enrichment. We don’t want enrichment.” (2/13/26)
“No nuclear weapons…” (2/9/26)
“The one thing, and right up front — no nuclear weapons.” (2/6/26)
“Number one, no nuclear.” (1/29/26)
“NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS…” (1/28/26)
They can’t do the nuclear… They’ve got to stop with the nuclear.” (1/21/26)
“I hope they’re not trying to build up again, because if they are, we’re going to have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup.” (12/29/25)
“They still talk about enrichment. I mean, who would do that? You just come out of something that’s so bad, and they talk about, ‘We want to continue enrichment.’ Who would say that? How stupid can you be to say that? So, we’re not going to allow that to happen. We’re not allowing that to happen.” (7/27/25)
“They said, ‘We want enrichment’… I wouldn’t let that happen. I think people wouldn’t have understood it if I allowed that to happen.” (6/29/25)
“The last thing they want to do is enrich anything right now… We won’t let that happen, number one — militarily we won’t.” (6/25/25)
“I’ve said Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon — I’ve said that for 15 years, long before I decided to do the political thing.” (6/25/25)
“They’re not going to have enrichment and they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon.” (6/24/25)
“If you go back 15 years, I was saying we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.” (6/18/25)
“I only want one thing – Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. That’s it… I’ve been saying that for 20 years.” (6/18/25)
“I’ve been saying for 20 years — maybe longer — that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon…” (6/18/25)
“We’re looking for a total and complete victory. Again, you know what that victory is: no nuclear weapon.” (6/18/25)
“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple — you don’t have to go to too deep into it. They just can’t have a nuclear weapon.” (6/17/25)
“I want to see no nuclear weapon in Iran and we’re well on our way to making sure that happens.” (6/16/25)
“You can’t have peace if Iran has a nuclear weapon.” (6/14/25)
“They can’t have a nuclear weapon. Very simple. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. We’re not going to allow that.” (6/11/25)
“You have to view them as people and I don’t want it to be a violent thing, but they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon.” (5/16/25)
“I want them to succeed. I want them to end up being a great country, frankly, but they can’t have a nuclear weapon.” (5/15/25)
“I want to make a deal with Iran, I want to do something if it’s possible, but for that to happen, it must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars, and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons.” (5/14/25)
“Iran can have a much brighter future — but we’ll never allow America and its allies to be threatened with terrorism or a nuclear attack. The choice is theirs to make. We really want them to be a successful country … but they cannot have a nuclear weapon.” (5/13/25)
“We want it to be a great country. Let it be a tremendously successful, rich country … but they can’t have a nuclear weapon.” (5/6/25)
“I want Iran to be really successful, really great, really fantastic — the only thing they can’t have is a nuclear weapon. If they want to be successful, that’s OK. I want them to be so successful and, you know, the Iranian people are incredible — I just don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon because the world will be destroyed.” (5/4/25)
“Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon.” (4/17/25)
“Iran has to get rid of the concept of a nuclear weapon. They cannot have a nuclear weapon.” (4/14/25)
“I want Iran to be a wonderful, great, happy country — but they can’t have a nuclear weapon.” (4/11/25)
“You cannot allow [Iran] to have a nuclear weapon.” (2/10/25)
“It’s very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.” (2/4/25)
“Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon. Nuclear weapons are the greatest single threat to our country, but to the entire world.” (11/3/24)
“I would have been very good to Iran. They — I had to have one thing, no nuclear weapons. You can’t have nuclear weapon. Nuclear weapons are the greatest danger to our country going forward, to the world going forward.” (10/29/24)
“And all I wanted was Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon … That’s all I wanted. Very simple. You can’t have a nuclear weapon.” (10/28/24)
“We don’t want Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” (10/23/24)
“I didn’t want much. I wanted Iran to be very successful. I just don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon.” (10/16/24)
“You can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.” (10/14/24)
“I just don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple.” (10/10/24)
“I only wanted one thing. You can’t have a nuclear weapon. You cannot let them have a nuclear weapon.” (10/7/24)
“No, they can’t have nukes. No, they can’t have nukes.” (10/7/24)
“They can’t have a nuclear weapon — and now they’re very close to having one and it’s very dangerous for the world, very dangerous for the world … The biggest problem today, in my opinion, the biggest risk is the nuclear weapons.” (10/1/24)
“All I want them to do is not have a nuclear weapon. They can’t have a nuclear weapon.” (9/30/24)
“The only thing is [Iran] cannot have nuclear weapons.” (9/26/24)
“I wanted one thing from Iran — no nuclear weapon. I didn’t want much — no nuclear weapon. And now they’re very close to getting it, and you can’t let that happen.” (9/19/24)
“All we want is we don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon. Very simple. That’s all we want. We don’t want you to have a nuclear weapon.” (9/17/24)
“They can’t have a nuclear weapon. We just can’t let them have a nuclear weapon. I’ll say this. If they do have a nuclear weapon, Israel is gone. It’ll be gone.” (8/27/24)
“I don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon.” (8/23/24)
“I just wanted to have a deal with Iran, very simple deal — can’t have a nuclear weapon. That’s it.” (8/23/24)
“They can’t have a nuclear weapon. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. And we were all set to make sure that they don’t have a nuclear weapon. Because once they do, it’s a whole different world, it’s a whole different negotiation.” (8/15/24)
“Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon — it’s very simple.” (8/8/24)
“They can’t have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. You cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.” (8/5/24)
“Iran should not have a nuclear weapon … Iran should never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.” (7/10/24)
“The main thing is Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon. That was my main thing. The deal was a simple deal. Iran can’t have a nuclear. You know, it can’t have a missile, it can’t have a nuclear missile. It cannot have that nuclear capability.” (6/20/24)
“We have a very hostile country that wants nuclear weapons. You can’t let that happen.” (6/15/24)
“Iran should not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. They would never have had even close to a nuclear weapon. They are very close to getting a nuclear weapon. You cannot let that happen.” (5/15/24)
“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon — very simple. They cannot have a nuclear weapon.” (5/1/24)
“You can’t let Iran have nuclear weapons.” (4/30/24)
“Iran wanted to make a deal, and what the deal — 90% of the deal that I want to make is no nuclear weapon. That’s 90% — almost 100%. It might be 100%. That’s all I want. No nuclear weapon for Iran” (3/25/24)
“I want everybody to be happy. They just can’t have a nuclear weapon.” (2/23/24)
“I just didn’t want Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I said, ‘You know, we’re going to make a great deal. Everybody’s going to be happy. You’re going to be rich as hell again. Everything’s going to be great, but you cannot have a nuclear weapon.’” (1/20/24)
“They cannot have a nuclear weapon. That was the only thing — the one thing I said, ‘You cannot have.’” (1/5/24)
“I just don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon.” (1/5/24)
“They will have, within a short period of time, nuclear weapons — and that is never something that can be allowed to happen.” (12/30/23)
“No nuclear weapons. You can’t have nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons are the single greatest threat to this world.” (11/9/23)
“They can’t have a nuclear weapon. That’s all. They can’t have nuclear weapons. It’s too destructive, too powerful. They can’t have it.” (10/29/23)
“Don’t let Iran have nuclear weapons. That’s my only thing I have to tell you today. Don’t let them have it.” (10/16/23)
“No nuclear weapons. You can’t give [Iran] nuclear weapons.” (7/15/23)
“You cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. You cannot let it happen because bad things will happen if that happens.” (6/24/23)
“IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!” (1/6/20)
“Iran cannot have Nuclear Weapons!” (6/22/19)
“We can’t let Iran get a nuclear weapon. We can’t do it. Can’t do it. We cannot let that happen.” (1/24/15)
“We can’t allow Iran to go nuclear.” (11/4/11)
I don’t think this was drafted by Graham or Bolton, and I don’t care what either of them think.
No parsing required, he stated very directly, the only parsing going on is yours and others trying to pretend he never said these things on the campaign trial.
Further evidence of this is so many at FR stating they exact same thing that they voted for this and understood Trump had this very position when they voted. All you are doing is telling us we did not vote for that reason, funny how you get to tell us what we believed at the time we voted, guess that is the only way you can justify your position, you know better what we voted for.
wish this guy would just come out and say hes running for President again....so annoying.
👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 I did! I did!
When Rand Paul exemplifies the concerns of one cohort of Trump's supporters and Lindsey Graham carries the flag for the other, I sure as hell know where I stand.
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