WASHINGTON, United States — Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie has sharply criticized President Donald Trump over recent U.S. military strikes on Iran, warning that bombing the country will not deflect from domestic political controversies and insisting Congress must authorize any war.
“Bombing a country on the other side of the globe won’t make the Epstein files go away, any more than the Dow going above 50,000 will,” Massie wrote on X.
The seven-term congressman said he will push for a House vote on an Iran War Powers Resolution, joining bipartisan efforts to reassert congressional authority under Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which vests the power to declare war in Congress.
Massie has long opposed unilateral military actions by the executive branch. He also voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, citing constitutional concerns. His stance now places him at odds with several Republicans who have defended the strikes as necessary for national security.
The United States, in coordination with Israel, launched extensive airstrikes across Iran following reports of the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Israel’s military said it dropped more than 1,200 munitions across 24 Iranian provinces in the first wave. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. bases and Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv.
Iranian authorities report at least 201 people killed and more than 740 injured. Among the dead were at least 148 victims in a single strike on an elementary girls’ school in Minab. Israel reported nine fatalities and more than 120 injuries.
The Pentagon confirmed three U.S. soldiers were killed and five wounded in retaliatory attacks. Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates also reported casualties or damage linked to intercepted or landed projectiles.
Massie’s criticism contrasts with that of Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who praised the strikes as justified. “A regime that relishes killing Arabs, Israelis, Americans, and its own people deserves no sympathy,” McConnell said.
Republican Senate candidate Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL endorsed by Trump, framed the operation as a deterrent measure. “Decisive action, clear objectives, and overwhelming strength save American lives and prevent larger wars, death, and destruction,” he said.
Within the GOP, Rand Paul echoed constitutional concerns. Invoking John Quincy Adams’ warning that America should not “go abroad in search of monsters to destroy,” Paul said Congress — not the president — holds the authority to declare war.
Democrats have also voiced opposition. Louisville Congressman Morgan McGarvey described the strikes as “another illegal war,” arguing that U.S. troops and taxpayers face risks without formal congressional approval.
As the conflict intensifies, the debate in Washington underscores a longstanding constitutional fault line: the balance between swift executive action and Congress’s war-making powers.
