Donald Trump had Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, assassinated Thursday night without congressional authorization, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants information about the strike, which she said in a statement was not only conducted without an Authorization for Use of Military Force against Iran, but “without the consultation of the Congress.”
“American leaders’ highest priority is to protect American lives and interests,” Pelosi said. “But we cannot put the lives of American servicemembers, diplomats and others further at risk by engaging in provocative and disproportionate actions.” The airstrike on Soleimani and other military leaders “risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence. America—and the world—cannot afford to have tensions escalate to the point of no return.”
That needs to change, Pelosi said: “The full Congress must be immediately briefed on this serious situation and on the next steps under consideration by the Administration, including the significant escalation of the deployment of additional troops to the region.”
Typically of Trump, he appears to have told key Republican allies about his plans. Sen. Lindsey Graham told Fox News he had been briefed on Monday.