Dems plan Oman war powers push after Trump threatens bombing
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President Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office on Aug. 17. Photo: Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Congressional Democrats are planning a new push to constrain President Trump's war powers after he threatened Monday to "bomb the shit" out of Oman.
Why it matters: War powers resolutions, though largely symbolic, have become Democrats' go-to tool for trying to rein in what they see as a far too trigger-happy administration.
- "At this point we may just need to file war powers resolutions for the 192 other countries," Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) told Axios.
Driving the news: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) announced in a statement on Monday afternoon that he will introduce an Oman war powers resolution when the Senate returns to session next month.
- Kaine noted that the the U.S. "has a strong diplomatic relationship and a free trade agreement" with Oman and argued that Trump's threats work to the benefit of "real adversaries" such as Russia and China.
- The Virginia Democrat said he hopes to "find some Republican colleagues to join with Democrats and check this blindly stumbling power-drunk President from inflicting more damage on the U.S. and the world."
The other side: "Politicians in the United States and around the world have been talking about the danger posed by a nuclear Iran for decades. Only President Trump, however, has possessed the courage to take this national security threat head-on," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to Axios.
- "The administration has been fully transparent with Congress over the course of this conflict and throughout negotiations, and senior officials have provided over 30 bipartisan briefings to the Hill since late February."
- "The Iranian regime – which for 47 years has chanted 'Death to America' and threatened our troops overseas – can never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon."
Catch up quick: Trump issued his threat to the gulf country, an American ally which has been involved in efforts to broker a deal to end the U.S.-Iran war, in an interview with Fox News.
- "If Oman gets in the way" of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the president said in the phone interview, "we'll bomb the shit out of them."
- Asked by reporters later on Monday if he is out of patience with Oman, Trump said, "I don't think they've behaved very well, but we'd handle them very easily, just like we do other things."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with White House comment.
