Former Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin says it remains a mystery what war plan could produce a result that anyone but a “deluded, addled” president would call victory, and she is urging Democrats to stop Donald Trump from restarting the Iran war.
Writing in The Contrarian on the eve of the midterms, Rubin argued that if Democrats win even one chamber of Congress, their most urgent task will be heading off a new round of fighting before describing the war as illegal, reckless and fruitless.
Trump, she wrote, has been “itching” to resume the conflict, due to his belief that another brief round of military strikes would result in a quick win, as he claimed many months ago. Rubin said there is no evidence that further strikes would force Iran to disrupt the flow of goods through the Strait of Hormuz or topple the regime. Yet Trump keeps claiming the U.S. has already won, she noted.
Rubin called it ominous that, according to news reports, Trump received an in-person briefing last week from top commanders on resuming active military operations, including the defense secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. She added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legacy is tied to the war and if he secures another term, the joint operation is more likely.
She cited Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who told the Middle East Institute last week that he had been briefed in detail on the war plan. Murphy called the plan “insane,” citing the plan to hit civilian targets, warning that it would “lead to devastating escalation.”
He also accused the administration of a coordinated cover-up to hide the war’s costs from the public and Congress, after he was denied access to damaged bases.
“This is the textbook illegal war,” Murphy said, noting that the administration never sought authorization and that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has held no hearing.
Rubin warned that renewed fighting would drain munitions that are already critically low, endanger troops at bases and kill more civilians. It would also cement America’s image as a weakened power unable to defeat a regional middle power.
She advises Congress should vote to stop further offensive action, cut off funding, and make clear that everyone involved, up to and including the president, will be held accountable through impeachment, war crimes prosecution or court-martial.
Even if Democrats lose party-line votes before the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, Rubin said, a unified stand could slow military action and give Gulf allies and military leaders reasons to push back.
She said mass peaceful protest may be needed, and that no Democrat serious about running for president in 2028 or lawmakers can stay on the sidelines if they hope to win in the future.