Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha called out Democrats for being hypocrites over President Donald Trump’s military strikes in Iran, when members of the party supported air strikes in Libya under former President Barack Obama.
The United States launched joint military strikes with Israel against Iran on Saturday as part of Operation Epic Fury. A bipartisan group of members in Congress has criticized the operation and condemned Trump for not pursuing congressional approval before the strikes started.
The Libya strikes “went on for seven months without congressional approval, without evoking the War Powers Act,” Concha said Thursday on Fox Business’s Evening Edit. “So hypocrisy, here you are, right here. If you supported that without congressional approval, then obviously, with Libya, you have to support it with Iran.
“But, obviously, we’re in a different world now.”
Obama authorized airstrikes against Libya in 2011 in an effort to save peaceful pro-democracy protesters who were targeted by the Libyan government.
The House rejected a war powers resolution, introduced by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY), that would have required Trump to end military operations in Iran unless Congress explicitly votes to authorize it.
The measure failed in a 219-212 vote, with four House Democrats joining a majority of Republicans to reject the resolution.
Concha criticized the media for portraying a divide within the Republican Party over Iran.
“Poll after poll shows that Republicans … especially those that support the president, are absolutely behind the operation,” Concha said. “If the war is ended quickly, then Democrats and many in the media will look very foolish and weak.”
Concha predicted that if the military operations in Iran continue for “too long,” it could result in political wins for Democrats in future elections.
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“If it goes on for an extended period of time, well, that would be a much different story,” Concha said. “Where you have Democrats take back the House easily in November, possibly the Senate, and then in 2028, if it goes on for too long, you’ll have a Barack Obama, George W. Bush situation where the country will turn against this.”
“But the way it looks right now, with all the victories that we’re having and the Iranians having no answers, this probably will be a very, very short conflict rather than long, this is not Iraq,” Concha added.
