Why Congress Might Not Stop Trump’s War In Iran

Summary

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Podcast Summary: What A Day – "Why Congress Might Not Stop Trump’s War In Iran"

Date: March 3, 2026
Host: Jane Coaston
Guest: Nicholas Wu (Congressional Reporter, Semaphore)

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Overview

In this episode, Jane Coaston unpacks the political and legislative aftermath of the U.S. and Israel launching attacks on Iran, focusing on the limitations of Congressional power to halt or shape the direction of military conflict. Coaston is joined by Nicholas Wu, who provides an insider’s perspective on Congressional politics, war powers resolutions, party fractures, and the broader implications for U.S. governance and public life.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. What's Happening in Iran—and Why?

• Escalated Conflict: As of the episode’s recording, U.S. and Israeli forces are attacking targets in Iran.
• Administration Objectives: Official rhetoric from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasizes destroying Iran’s military and nuclear capability, but avoids regime change as the main objective.
  • “We fight to win. We fight to achieve the objectives the President of the United States has laid out, and we will do so unapologetically.” — Pete Hegseth [01:01].
• Mixed Messaging: Despite official denials, Trump’s video message to Iranians invokes regime change rhetoric, encouraging the Iranian people to “seize control” of their future.
  • “Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach.” — Donald Trump [02:33].

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2. Why Did the U.S. Strike Iran? Conflicting Explanations

• Defense Rationale: The main justification is preemptive action to prevent Iranian retaliation following expected Israeli strikes—a loose definition of "imminent threat."
  • “If Israel attacked Iran, Iran would then attack the United States... if we didn’t preemptively go after them, we would suffer higher casualties…” — Marco Rubio [02:59].
• Jane’s Take: Coaston points out the ambiguity and shifting justifications for the strikes and whether they truly fit the definition of an imminent threat.

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3. Congress and the War Powers Resolution

• Pending Votes: Congress was already preparing votes on war powers resolutions to restrain any military action against Iran before the strikes happened.
  • “These resolutions were basically intended to try to reign in any kind of military action against Iran.” — Nicholas Wu [03:49].
• Shifting Positions: Some GOP isolationists (e.g., Warren Davidson) are skeptical of military adventures, waiting for White House briefings before making decisions. Some Democrats support the operation, breaking with the party line.
  • “There’s a few folks… who are really sticking their vote on it… On the other side, there’s some Democrats… who are going to oppose the War Powers Resolution because they do support the military action against Iran.” — Nicholas Wu [04:15].
• Political Barriers: Resolutions face the Senate filibuster (requiring 60 votes) and a likely Trump veto even if they pass. Democrats admit these are symbolic gestures and not expected to become law.
  • “They’re almost certainly not going to get that. They’ll come up short…” — Nicholas Wu [05:28].

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4. Can Congress Actually Stop the War?

• Enforcement Gaps: Even with a resolution passed, enforcement is unclear. Presidents routinely cite existing broad Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) and congressional complicity over decades.
  • “Congress has ceded a lot of that power over to the president... for so long.” — Nicholas Wu [05:56].
  • “The administrations… make [the] argument that they have to be able to act quickly…” — Nicholas Wu [06:49].

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5. Iraq War Parallels and Legislative Caution

• Historical Lessons: Unlike Iraq in 2003, Bush went to Congress. Many lawmakers regret those votes, and the memories of the Iraq/Afghanistan wars—especially among veterans in Congress—shape current reluctance or debate.
  • “We have quite a few members of Congress who did serve in Iraq and Afghanistan... lawmakers really getting quite personal in talking about their experiences…” — Nicholas Wu [07:56].

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6. Domestic Impacts: Oil and Political Fallout

• U.S. Economy: War-induced oil price spikes may affect voters, putting pressure on lawmakers to address everyday economic consequences.
  • “There are very preliminary discussions... about what to do about any potential increases in gas prices…” — Nicholas Wu [08:47].

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7. Predictions: What’s Next in Congress?

• No Resolution Expected: Wu predicts no war powers resolution will pass, but highlights growing fractures within both parties over foreign policy, reflecting broader ideological shifts.
  • “A war powers resolution is almost certainly not going to pass… But what is going to be interesting… is the fractures that we’re going to see in both parties…” — Nicholas Wu [09:19].

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Regime Change:
  • “Sounds regime changey to me.” — Jane Coaston [02:43].
• On Congressional Power:
  • “For so long, Congress has ceded a lot of that power over to the president.” — Nicholas Wu [05:56].
• On War Justification:
  • “That is what Rubio described as the, quote, imminent threat... which is not what I thought imminent meant.” — Jane Coaston [03:13].
• On Political Dynamics:
  • “Among Republicans, we have some of the more isolationist voices who are very skeptical of the use of military force. And among Democrats, you do have some more pro-Israel folks… more inclined to support the use of force…” — Nicholas Wu [09:19].

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Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Quote | |----------|-------------------| | 00:03–02:43 | Overview of conflict, Trump admin statements, and regime change rhetoric. | | 03:13 | Marco Rubio’s explanation of “imminent threat.” | | 03:38–05:00 | Nicholas Wu on Congressional reaction, party lines, and pending votes. | | 05:07–06:30 | Filibuster, enforcement issues, executive overreach explained. | | 06:49–07:56 | Historical context: Iraq War lessons and Congressional caution. | | 08:28–08:47 | Economic impacts and lawmaker discussions. | | 09:19 | Prediction and the future dynamic in Congress. | | 12:18 | Trump’s war timeline: “Right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that.” – Donald Trump. | | 13:15 | Melania Trump presides over UN Security Council, awkward juxtaposition with ongoing war and U.S. policy on children in conflict. |

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Additional News Briefs

• Trump on War Duration:
  • “Whatever the time is, it’s okay. Whatever it takes, we will always. And we have… four to five weeks…" — Donald Trump [12:18].
  • "I never get bored. If I got bored, I wouldn't be standing here right now." — Donald Trump [13:00].
• Melania Trump at the U.N.:
  • "Enduring peace will be achieved when knowledge and understanding are fully valued within all our societies." — Melania Trump [13:17].
• Primaries in the South:
  • Noted unusually high spending in Texas Senate primary; rising Islamophobia in GOP rhetoric.
• Clinton/Epstein Investigation:
  • Both Clintons distance from Epstein under subpoena; no new revelations [15:37–16:33].

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Tone

• Informed, skeptical, occasionally wry. Coaston balances reportorial objectivity with sharp asides and ironic commentary, especially highlighting contradictions and political theater surrounding war powers, executive-legislative dynamics, and U.S. foreign policy.

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Conclusion

This episode dispels the myth that Congress can easily restrain presidential war powers. Listeners learn that despite public concern, symbolic congressional action is unlikely to halt the United States’ trajectory in Iran. The podcast also probes significant tension and realignment within both political parties, the downstream effects on ordinary Americans, and the complex incentives at play in Washington.

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For full context, key quotes, and nuanced commentary, this summary provides a detailed guide to a pivotal discussion at a turbulent moment in American and world politics.

Transcript

[Nicholas Wu]

Foreign

[Jane Coaston]

It's Tuesday, March 3rd. I'm Jane Coston, and this is what a day. A show that felt so bad for Oklahoma Republican Senator Mark Wayne Mullen, speaking on Fox Business Monday. It really is tough to keep your Middle east conflicts straight, but it's up

[Marco Rubio]

to the Iraqi people, or, I'm sorry, the Iranian people to choose their next, their next leader.

[Jane Coaston]

I know it's such an easy mistake to make. On today's show, first lady Melania Trump presides over a United Nations Security Council meeting about protecting children in conflict, something the Trump administration definitely cares about. And it's primary day for voters in three southern states. But let's start with the war in Iran and the battle over what to do about it in Congress. As of our recording time on Monday, the US And Israel are continuing to attack targets across Iran. And in the first public address by a Trump administration official since the attacks began, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters, or more accurately yelled at reporters on Monday, that it's really none of their business or yours what the US Is doing there. But going forward, why in the world would we tell you, you, the enemy, anybody, what we will or will not do in pursuit of an objective? We fight to win. We fight to achieve the objectives the president of the United States has laid out, and we will do so unapologetically. But according to the War powers Resolution of 1973, it actually is Congress's business. And lawmakers weren't fully briefed either until hopefully today. Members of the Trump administration, including Secretary Hegseth, are briefing all of Congress on what exactly the Trump administration's objectives are, because I still have no idea why the United States started bombing Iran in the first place. But according to a Twitter post from White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt, the administration's objectives are destroy Iran's military capacity and ensure the country can't develop a nuclear weapon, no regime change needed. Hegseth said the same thing in his presser, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio made similar points in his own comments to reporters on Monday.

[Marco Rubio]

We would not mind. We would not be heartbroken, and we hope that the Iranian people can overthrow this government and establish a new future for that country. We would love for that to be possible, but the objective of this mission is the destruction of their ballistic missile capabilities and of their naval capabilities.

[Jane Coaston]

But hang on a second, because Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that the point of the strikes was freeing the Iranian people from the Islamic Republic. In a video message posted as bombing began, Trump told Iranians that this was the time for them to take over the government.

[Donald Trump]

Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach.

[Jane Coaston]

Sounds regime changey to me. But there's also the question of why. Why was Iran a threat so terrifying that the United States needed to bomb the country? Now, was it nuclear weapons? Intercontinental ballistic missiles? According to Secretary Ruby on Monday, No.

[Marco Rubio]

We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces. And we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties and perhaps even hire those killed.

[Jane Coaston]

That is what Rubio described as the, quote, imminent threat. If Israel attacked Iran, Iran would then attack the United States, which is not what I thought imminent meant. It sure seems like there are a lot of questions members of Congress need to be asking, but my question is, will they? And will it matter? So for more on what Congress will do on Iran, I spoke to Nicholas Wu. He's a congressional reporter for Semaphore now. Nicholas, welcome back to what a Day.

[Nicholas Wu]

Thanks so much for having me.

[Jane Coaston]

The House and the Senate were already set to vote on war powers resolutions before the United States and Israel bombed Tehran. What were these resolutions originally intended to do?

[Nicholas Wu]

These resolutions were basically intended to try to reign in any kind of military action against Iran. And, you know, prior to the strikes this past weekend and through this week, these were almost a preemptive War powers resolution. But now it's very much a live issue with military action in the region.

[Jane Coaston]

Are you hearing of anyone changing their votes now that this has actually happened? How has the conversation changed now that we're bombing Iran?

[Nicholas Wu]

Well, it's kind of interesting. There's folks really in both parties that might cross lines here. Republican leaders in both chambers are really trying very hard to kill these war powers resolutions. But there's a few folks kind of more from the maga, almost in some ways more isolationist wing of the Republican Party who are really skeptical of military action generally. And so some of them, like Warren Davidson of Ohio, are saying that they really want to hear from the administration when they brief all of Congress to hear what their rationale is. And folks like him are really sticking their vote on it. On the other side, there's some Democrats like Greg Landsman of Ohio, who are saying that they are going to oppose the War Powers Resolution because they do support the military action against Iran.

[Jane Coaston]

Now, there are a lot of steps a war powers resolution would need to go through before becoming law. What does that look like?

[Nicholas Wu]

Well, we got to remember that, you know, the Senate filibuster still exists, and this is something that both chambers would have to pass. And there's no guarantee that, you know, you can get a majority in both the House and the Senate, let alone the super majority that you need in the Senate to break a filibuster.

[Jane Coaston]

So just to be clear, they would need to get 60 votes to make it filibuster proof.

[Nicholas Wu]

And they're almost certainly not going to get that. They'll come up short. And Democrats are already acknowledging that. They're saying that this is just the first step to even half the debate is important. And for that matter, they can continue to force this vote, especially as the president has been saying that this conflict could go on for quite some time.

[Jane Coaston]

But let's say theoretically, one of these resolutions does pass and there's somehow enough support to override a inevitable veto from Trump. And how would the resolution even be enforced?

[Nicholas Wu]

That's where we get into kind of uncharted territory. You know, we all learn from Schoolhouse Rock. We all learned back in school that the president has to go from Congress to ask for permission to wage war. But, you know, for so long, Congress has ceded a lot of that power over to the president. And the administration has been saying that, you know, they can wage these strikes against Iran because of these existing authorizations for military force that were passed by Congress. But, you know, there's a lot of debate around that and how this might even play out if, say, Congress did, in fact, try to rein in the administration and the administration didn't comply.

[Jane Coaston]

I'm aware this is kind of a big question, but I'm just thinking back the last couple of presidential administrations, and we've seen so many times where presidents will, you know, bomb other countries or do actions that are war adjacent or warlike, but don't go to Congress. Why did Congress start ceding that power pretty much after the Iraq war?

[Nicholas Wu]

It's something that really both parties are guilty of doing ever since the Iraq War, whether in Democratic administrations, military force has been used without Congress's authorization. And same with the Trump administration. And it's the argument that the administrations on both parties will often make is that they have to be able to act quickly without having to go to Congress, which will take time. They'll have to debate. And the speed required to use military force might not align with all of the procedures that would follow with that. At the same time, we do see kind of the partisan lines hardening. Anytime, you know, the opposing party's president uses force, we'll see Republicans sometimes come out against a Democratic president and vice versa.

[Jane Coaston]

There have been parallels drawn between this war in Iran and the war in Iraq from 2003. I know I've been making that parallel, but there are differences. For one, President Bush actually went to Congress and asked for permission before dropping bombs. But by 2023, many lawmakers said regretted approving his request and the Senate repealed the authorization. From what you've observed, are lawmakers keeping the lessons of the war in Iraq in mind at all?

[Nicholas Wu]

It's something that's certainly fresh for a lot of lawmakers, especially since, you know, now two decades on from that we have quite a few members of Congress who did serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. And we see lawmakers really getting quite personal in talking about their experiences serving in those wars and the memory of that, in how they think about approving congressional authorization for the use of force or supporting the use of US Force against Iran more generally. And so it's been a very interesting dynamic to follow as this debate unfolds

[Jane Coaston]

on top of all of this. And this feels, I mean, it's so important, but also it feels kind of like an aside. Americans could feel this war in their wallets with, say, oil prices soaring, which I know kind of might help Democrats, it might hurt Republicans, especially with regard to the affordability message. Do lawmakers have plans to help or are they talking about this?

[Nicholas Wu]

There are very preliminary discussions, it seems, that some lawmakers are having, about what to do about any potential increases in gas prices, for example. But the conflict's still unfolding. There's a lot of questions about what this will do to global markets and the price of oil. And this is something that Congress will definitely have to consider if the impacts are felt more severely.

[Jane Coaston]

You follow Congress day in, day out. What do you expect will actually happen here? Will a war powers resolution pass? Where are we going?

[Nicholas Wu]

A war powers resolution is almost certainly not going to pass the House or Senate. But what is going to be interesting to follow over the coming days and then potentially if this comes up again in the future, is the fractures that we're going to see in both parties really, on these votes, since among Republicans, we have some of the more isolationist voices who are very skeptical of the use of military force. And among Democrats, you do have some more pro Israel folks who are more inclined to support the use of force against Iran, even if they disagree with Trump himself.

[Jane Coaston]

Nicholas, as always, thank you so much for joining me.

[Nicholas Wu]

Thanks so much Shane.

[Jane Coaston]

That was my conversation with Nicholas Wu, Congressional Reporter for Semaphore. We'll get to more of the news in a moment. But first, have I ever told you that you're the best audience ever? Because you are. If you want to be even better, please subscribe, leave a 5 star review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, watch us on YouTube and share the show with your friends. More to come after some ads. What a day is brought to you by Deleteme. Deleteme makes it easy, quick and safe to remove your personal data online. At a time when surveillance and data breaches are common enough to make everyone vulnerable, data brokers make a profit off your data. Your data is a commodity. Anyone on the web can buy your private details. This can lead to identity theft, phishing attempts and harassment. But now you can protect your privacy with DeleteMe. As someone with an active online presence, privacy is really important to me. If you've never been a victim of harassment or doxxing, you probably know someone who has. Deleteme can help take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for Deleteme now at a special discount for our listeners. Get 20% off your delete me plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com wad and use promo code wad at checkout. The only way to get 20% off is to go to JoinDeleteMe.com waad and enter code WAAD at checkout. That's JoinDeleteMe.com wad code wad this episode is sponsored by BetterHelp International Women's Day is coming up. A moment to celebrate women's strength and progress while also recognizing how much they carry every day. Between caring for others and managing unseen responsibilities, their emotional well being can easily be overlooked. Therapy offers a space for women to take care of themselves in the way they deserve. BetterHelp therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US and BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences and their 12 plus years of experience and industry leading match fulfillment rate means they typically get it right the first time. If you aren't happy with your match, switch to a different therapist at any time from their tailored recommendations. Your emotional well being matters. Find support and feel lighter in therapy. Sign up and get 10% [e-mail] wad that's better. H E L p.com wad here's what else we're following today.

[Nicholas Wu]

Head of lines

[Donald Trump]

Whatever the time is, it's okay. Whatever it takes, we will always. And we have. Right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that.

[Jane Coaston]

President Trump told attendees at a White House ceremony to award Medals of Honor Monday that from his vantage point, the timeline for the US War with Iran is whatever he says it is, though the 4 to 5 weeks figure is up a bit from the quote 4 weeks or less that he gave the Daily Mail just a day before. What's a 25% longer war between adversaries? Trump took a moment to address the elephant in the room, though, insisting he will not get bored no matter how long the war drags on.

[Donald Trump]

I never get bored. If I got bored, I wouldn't be standing here right now. I guarantee you that. To go through what I had to

[Jane Coaston]

go through, if I never got bored, I would not repeatedly tell people I never got bored. But that's just me.

[Nicholas Wu]

The US Stands with all of the

[Jane Coaston]

children throughout the world. I hope soon peace will be yours. First Lady Melania Trump on Monday presided over a United Nations Security Council meeting that focused on children in conflict. The first lady acknowledged the meeting came amidst, quote, challenging times. You know, seeing as the United States and Israel are waging a war against Iran, and there are credible claims that dozens of children were killed when a school was hit in early strikes. According to the UN first ladies have taken part in Security Council meetings, but this was the first time a sitting first lady presided over one. Melania Trump urged members of the Security Council to, quote, safeguard learning, adding enduring peace will be achieved when knowledge and understanding are fully valued within all our societies. Okay, Miss Universe. She spoke about protecting children's access to education and technology and conflict. But she might want to compare notes with her husband about that because his administration has cut funding for a slew of UN Agencies that work on those very issues. Actually, they seem like they'd have a lot to discuss if they ever got to chatting. Primaries are underway today in Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas. Voters in all three states will choose U.S. senate candidates for the midterms, but Texas has raised has the distinction of being the most expensive Senate primary ever. Texan candidates and their backers spent, wait for it, more than $120 million on campaign ads. What did this cash buy? On the Democratic side, a super PAC supporting State Representative James Tallerico has put out ads claiming the GOP is spending money to boost his opponent, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett Last week, Crockett earned an endorsement from former Vice President Kamala Harris, who recorded a robocall in support. And on the Republican side, it's a race to the bottom with incumbent Senator John Cornyn running against Attorney General Ken Paxton. If you're in Texas and watch tv, you've definitely heard that Paxton's wife accused him of adultery and you'd know that he's running to the right of Cornyn. But as we talked about last week, because it's the gop, the two candidates have united in villainizing Texas Muslim community. So let's hope neither of them has what it takes to win in November.

[Nicholas Wu]

This is a deposition of former President William Jefferson Clinton conducted by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform under the authority granted to it pursuant to

[Jane Coaston]

House Rule 10, a House committee investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein released videos on Monday of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton answering questions about the late financier. They both sat for hours long closed door depositions. Last week, months after fighting congressional subpoenas, both Clintons distanced themselves from Epstein and repeated what they had said. Bill didn't know him well and Hillary didn't know him personally at all. The former Democratic president said he remembered first meeting Epstein when he flew aboard his private jet in 2002 for the Clintons humanitarian work. Clinton said his relationship with Epstein ended in 2003.

[Nicholas Wu]

When did you first learn of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes?

[Donald Trump]

I think in 2008 when he was prosecuted. I didn't. There was nothing that I saw when I was around him. It made me realize he was trafficking women.

[Jane Coaston]

As for the former Secretary of State, I do not recall ever meeting Jeffrey Epstein in preparation for this hearing. I was told that he attended an event at the White House that was put on by the White House Historical association, but I have no recollection of that. And that's the news. Before we go, you might know Dan Pfeiffer from Podcast of America. You know, former senior advisor to Barack Obama and co host of the show. If you want the nitty gritty on the latest polls headlines on political nonsense, subscribe to its Message Box newsletter. Right now he's offering 20% off subscriptions for Crooked listeners. Messagebox cuts through the noise so you can actually understand what's happening and maybe gain a little clarity and sanity along the way. He recently covered what the latest swing state polling actually tells us about 2026, how to read through misleading economic headlines, and why the media keeps falling for the same political traps. Sign up [e-mail] yeswedan and get 20% off your subscription. That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, get me a d dinosaur and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just about how a triceratop's skeleton that's more than 66 million years old is now available for sale. Like me, Water Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Jane Coasten, and that Triceratops name is Trey. Trey the Triceratops again. Please get me this dinosaur. It's just like $5 million. What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producer is Emily Foer. Our producer is Caitlin Plummer. Our video editor is Joseph Dutra. Our video producer is Johanna Case. We had production help today from Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Sean Ali and Ethan Oberman. Our senior producer is Erika Morrison, and our senior vice president of news and politics is Adrienne Hillary. Our theme music is by Kyle Murdoch and Jordan Cantor. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.