As far as I have seen, John Fetterman is the only Democrat who has applauded President Trump’s devastation of Iran’s nuclear program. That spectacularly successful military action has been denounced by pretty much every leading Democrat, including Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi. And some prominent Democrats, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have called for Trump to be impeached.
As a matter of law and historical practice, that is absurd. The president is commander in chief of the armed forces, and presidents from Thomas Jefferson to Barack Obama have ordered military actions without going first to Congress. Remember when Hillary Clinton was giddy with delight over the bombing that removed Qaddafi from power in Libya? Via InstaPundit:
Politically, it is hard to understand what Democrats are thinking. Polls indicate that Americans are well aware of the threat posed by a nuclear-armed Iran. In this survey, for example, 73% of respondents said they think Iran poses a real security threat to the U.S., while 78% said they are “very” or “extremely” concerned about Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. Which, of course, is what Trump has prevented.
While peace is always more popular than war, this poll finds 58% of Republicans and 65% of self-described MAGA Republicans supporting U.S. military action against Iran, several days ago. That support will naturally increase now that the mission has successfully been accomplished.
One wonders what the Democrats would have us do. Shovel billions of dollars into the mullahs’ coffers to expand their ability to support terrorists and continue their nuclear program, as Barack Obama did? Nothing, as Joe Biden did?
Democrats are in the position of hoping that things go badly from here. But there is little prospect of American ground troops in Iran, and the main way in which things could go badly is if Iran succeeds in carrying out terrorist attacks against us. But I doubt that would greatly redound to the Democrats’ benefit.
The Democrats also may play to the anti-Semitic elements in their base. This is how the Minnesota Star Tribune, a Democratic Party mouthpiece, tried to spin last night’s brilliantly executed mission:
Got that? America has “inserted itself into Israel’s war” in a “risky gambit,” with the first comment on the attack going to Iran’s government. Nice try, and Tucker Carlson might buy it. But I don’t think many others will.
In short, the Democrats’ knee-jerk response strikes me as one more instance of their pathological Trump derangement syndrome, rather than as a rationally calculated and thought out strategic or political position.
