'Unqualified' House Speaker flamed for 'yielding power' to Trump: 'Toadies gonna toad'

Social media cooked House Speaker Mike Johnson’s claim that the War Powers Act may be unconstitutional and that it violates the Article 2 military authority of the commander in chief.

Congress passed the War Powers Act in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and President Richard Nixon’s secret bombings of Cambodia, but Johnson disagreed with the law while defending President Donald Trump sending bunker-busting missiles into alleged Iranian uranium enrichment sites.

The Act, which bars the use of armed forces in conflicts beyond 60 days without congressional authorization or a formal declaration of war, goes against the intent of the U.S. Constitution, said Johnson. The Speaker said he bases his argument on his interpretation of the Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

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“Many respected constitutional experts argue … the act is itself unconstitutional. I’m persuaded by that argument.” Johnson told House members, while claiming to be a defender of Article 1 authority. “We take it seriously … but exercising that authority to declare war is something we haven’t done since World War II.”

“Toadies gonna toad,” posted Reason Magazine writer Eric Boehm.

“Just shameful,” said attorney Fernando Antonio, on X.

Politico Reporter Ben Jacobs agreed that the constitutionality of War Powers Act is “an open question debated by constitutional lawyers,” but added “it's pretty remarkable for a Speaker of the House to consider yielding power to the President unilaterally.”

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“Party of small government, folks,” said Matt Rein, a creative partnership director for the Democratic National Committee.

Other critics, like California Environmental Voters federal advocacy coordinator Aaron McCall, warned, “The power grab is incessant and cynical,” and Urban Planner Sam Spencer said, “This is something only the most unqualified speaker of the house in United States history would say.”

Politico reporter Igor Bobic said he was, “curious how a vote repealing the War Powers Act would go in the House,” considering Republicans’ evolving sentiment on the law.

See the CPAN video at this link.