Republicans backed themselves into a corner as Trump barrels world toward global unrest

U.S. President Donald Trump is drawing criticism from both Democrats and Never Trump conservatives, including Charlie Sykes and former GOP strategist Tim Miller, in response to a threat against Iran that they say went way too far.

Trump, in a Tuesday morning, April 7 post on his Truth Social platform, posted, "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!"

In an article published on April 7, The Atlantic's David A. Graham stresses that the post went beyond inflammatory rhetoric — as he "threatened to wipe the country out entirely."

"Though Trump rarely speaks clearly," Graham argues, "this threat would appear to meet the definition of genocide under the 1948 UN convention: 'acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group'…. But Trump's message this morning is also notable for the autocratic view that underpins it. His position is that if he wants to wipe out 'a whole civilization,' then that is his decision to make — unconstrained by American law, international law, Congress, or public opinion…. This view is legally, morally, and practically disastrous."

Graham notes that threatening to wipe out a "whole civilization" is "not what the framers of the Constitution laid out" — and that they "granted the power to declare war to Congress alone."

"Members of the military are required to refuse an illegal order, including a violation of international law," the Atlantic editor explains. "But any individual soldier, sailor, or airman is poorly equipped to assess the law — and most do not realistically feel empowered to refuse an order….. Trump has previously said he is bound only by his own 'morality,' which is not reassuring given his track record of fraud, dishonesty, racism, and misogyny. But granting such power to a single individual is also impractical, because it prevents adversaries from negotiating effectively."

While Never Trump conservatives like Miller and Sykes are condemning Trump's post, however, Graham laments that many GOP lawmakers are afraid to speak out.

"Some GOP members of Congress have also expressed discomfort with attacks on civilians, but overall, the reaction among Republican elected officials has been muted — throughout the war and especially today," Graham observes. "But because so many people on the right have worked to consolidate Trump’s power, insulate him from repercussions for his actions and discredit his critics, it’s not clear how much the president would care even if he did receive more criticism. He doesn't believe anyone has the right to stand in his way."