Left, Right & Center Trump Goes to War While Congress Sits Back
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Mar 6, 2026 
Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch offering conservative takes on law and foreign policy, and Mo Elleithee, Georgetown politics director with left-leaning election and foreign policy analysis, discuss U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran and why the rationale keeps shifting. They debate executive war powers, Congress’s retreat from oversight, and the political fallout for midterm races in Texas.
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Killing Iran's Leader Sparked Confusion Over Objectives
- The U.S. and Israel jointly killed Iran's supreme leader, sparking regional escalation and domestic confusion about objectives.
- David Greene highlights shifting justifications from regime change to imminent threat, making public buy-in and accountability difficult.
Second Term Power Projection Shapes Military Action
- Donald Trump in a second term appears motivated to project personal strength, using bold military moves as demonstrations of his authority.
- Mo Elleithee says the strikes fit a pattern of flexing executive muscle rather than clear national-strategy planning.
War Power Disputes Are Political Not Legal
- The constitutional divide over war powers is largely political, not legal, because courts won't settle these disputes.
- Sarah Isgur argues Congress enabled executive unilateralism by funding a large standing military and failing to use War Powers or purse powers.