DELMARVA - Elected officials representing the Delmarva region reacted Saturday, Feb. 28, after the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran, setting off a political debate over congressional authority, executive war powers and U.S. strategy in the Middle East.
President Donald Trump announced early Saturday that U.S. forces had begun "major combat operations" against Iranian military targets, calling the action necessary to defend American interests and counter Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Delaware’s Sen. Chris Coons also released a forceful statement condemning the strikes. Coons said the strikes represented "the beginning of a reckless new war of choice with no clear strategy and no clear endpoint," and argued that the campaign did not reflect the wishes of the American people. In part, Coons said:
"This is not how a democracy goes to war... This is an illegal war launched without meaningful consultation or the consent of Congress. At a time when we face significant threats from an aggressive China and Russia, choosing to launch a war with Iran brings significant risks, and Congress should rein in this dangerous president before he can do more harm to American service members and national interests."
Maryland's Sen. Angela Alsobrooks also blasted the administration’s decision on social media, saying the president had broken his campaign promise to avoid new wars. In a post on her verified X account, Alsobrooks wrote:
"The President said he would end wars — not start them. He lied. The President said he obliterated the Iranian nuclear program. He lied. The American people have no reason to trust this man with the lives of our sons and daughters. The Constitution is clear: ‘The Congress shall have Power…To declare War.’ Senators who still believe in the Constitution should join me in demanding we return to Washington today and vote on Senator Kaine’s War Powers Resolution."
Maryland's Sen. Chris Van Hollen also released a statement on his verified X account condemning the strikes, saying:
"Trump is lying to the American people as he launches an illegal, regime-change war against Iran. This is endangering American lives and has already resulted in mass civilian casualties. This is not making us safer and only damages the U.S. and our interests. The Senate must immediately vote on the War Powers Resolution to stop it."
Delaware’s Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester also put out a statement and said while Iran poses a real threat, President Trump’s strikes demonstrated a lack of clear strategy and risked putting U.S. troops and civilians in danger. She echoed the concerns of her colleagues, emphasizing that the strikes were carried out without meaningful consultation with Congress and urging lawmakers to return to Washington to debate and vote on the bipartisan War Powers Resolution.
Delaware’s Rep. Sarah McBride also put out a statement and criticized the administration’s approach, saying:
"This president appears determined to drag our country into yet another regime change war overseas rather than addressing problems here at home. Whether a full-scale regional war in the Middle East unfolds today or sometime in the future, this president’s shoot-first-ask-questions-later foreign policy inevitably leads to one place in the end: death, destruction, and destabilization."
She also says that Congress should reconvene to vote the War Powers Resolution.
We reached out to Delaware’s House Republican delegation for comment and are awaiting their response.