A plume of smoke rises after an explosion on February 28, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. After explosions were seen in the Iranian capital, the office of the Israeli Defense Minister issued a statement saying it had launched a preemptive strike against the country.
Getty Images
Getty Images
California Democrats swiftly condemned President Donald Trump’s weekend airstrikes against Iran, accusing him of launching an unauthorized war and risking American lives without congressional approval, while several of the state’s Republican lawmakers rallied behind the operation as a necessary response to a long-standing threat.
The U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes Saturday on Tehran and other targets across Iran in what Trump described as a “massive and ongoing operation” aimed at destroying Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities. Iran retaliated with missile barrages across the region, including reported strikes on U.S. installations in the Middle East.
Gov. Gavin Newsom denounced the action as unlawful and dangerous, even as he criticized Iran’s leadership.
“The corrupt and repressive Iranian regime must never have nuclear weapons. The leadership of Iran must go,” Newsom wrote on X. “But that does not justify the President of the United States engaging in an illegal, dangerous war that will risk the lives of our American service members and our friends without justification to the American people.
The corrupt and repressive Iranian regime must never have nuclear weapons. The leadership of Iran must go. But that does not justify the President of the United States engaging in an illegal, dangerous war that will risk the lives of our American service members and our friends…
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) February 28, 2026
“President Trump is putting Americans at risk abroad because he is unpopular at home,” wrote Newsom, who is widely considered a candidate for the White House in 2028 after he leaves office in Sacramento following this November’s election.
California’s two U.S. senators, both Democrats, also called for Congress to assert its authority over war powers.
“Trump is drawing our country into yet another foreign war that Americans don’t want and Congress has not authorized,” Sen. Adam Schiff wrote on X. “The Iranian regime is a brutal and murderous dictatorship. But that does not give Trump the authority to unilaterally initiate a war of choice.
He’s among several Democrats on Capitol Hill pushing for a vote next week on a resolution to curb Trump’s authority to conduct military strikes, an effort that was already underway.
Sen. Alex Padilla said the strikes contradicted Trump’s campaign pledges to “put Americans first and end foreign wars,” as well as comments he made during Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
“At a time when millions of hardworking families face higher costs of living and skyrocketing health care to pay for tax breaks for billionaires, Donald Trump is now pushing the country toward a war that risks American lives without presenting a clear justification to the American people or any plan to prevent escalation and chaos in the region,” Padilla said in a statement.
This decision to strike Iran without Congressional approval stands in stark contrast to a President who promised to put Americans first and end foreign wars. At a time when millions of hardworking families face higher costs of living and skyrocketing health care to pay for tax…
— Senator Alex Padilla (@SenAlexPadilla) February 28, 2026
Trump is drawing our country into yet another foreign war that Americans don’t want and Congress has not authorized.
The Iranian regime is a brutal and murderous dictatorship. But that does not give Trump the authority to unilaterally initiate a war of choice.
Congress…
— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) February 28, 2026
Americans do not want another forever war in the Middle East.
Congress must return to DC immediately to reassert its war powers. pic.twitter.com/UqonHl1HER
— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) February 28, 2026
While Padilla noted that the “Iranian regime has oppressed its own people, and its state sponsored terrorism and nuclear ambitions pose significant risks to the safety of Americans and regional stability,” he contended that the president “does not enjoy a blank check to launch large-scale military operations without a clear strategy, without any transparency or public debate, and not without Congressional approval.”
State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, similarly criticized the move as unauthorized and urged Congress to intervene.
“Trump’s unauthorized attack on Iran is another example of this regime being more interested in its own power & distracting from its tanking polls than actual strategy,” Wiener wrote on X. “Congress must exercise its war powers & end Trump’s illegal actions abroad.”
California Republicans, by contrast, voiced support for the president and U.S. troops involved in what the administration called Operation Epic Fury.
For decades, the Iranian regime has relentlessly pursued nuclear weapons, funded terrorism through proxies including Hamas and Hezbollah, taken hundreds of American lives, and threatened our national security. @POTUS and his Administration have exhausted every diplomatic path in… https://t.co/NsHnJm61bb
— Vince Fong (@RepVinceFong) February 28, 2026
Rep. Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, said Iran was “facing the consequences of its evil actions against America and our allies.”
“I stand firmly with our brave men and women in uniform carrying out Operation Epic Fury,” Fong wrote. “I pray for their safety and for their families as they defend America and protect our national security.”
Rep. Young Kim, R-Anaheim, said Trump “took decisive action” after Iran refused diplomatic efforts to dismantle its nuclear program, which remain ongoing after diplomats made “significant progress” in Geneva during the week. Negotiations said before the strikes that they planned to resume talks the following week.
“I hope for a swift & decisive operation that will pave the way for a more peaceful Middle East & a safer world,” Kim wrote, adding that she looked forward to Congress being briefed.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Bonsall, offered a brief message of support, writing: “May God bless and protect our brave service members as they carry out their duties and their mission,” and reshared the president’s video address, calling them “essential words.”
May God bless and protect our brave service members as they carry out their duties and their mission.
— Rep. Darrell Issa (@repdarrellissa) February 28, 2026
The political divide echoed reactions to Trump ordering a U.S. military operation in Venezuela last month to capture its president, Nicolás Maduro.
Several of the same lawmakers who weighed in Saturday had taken a similar stance during the Venezuela operation.
Now, Democrats in Congress are moving to force a vote on a proposal that would direct the president to terminate the use of U.S. armed forces against Iran unless explicitly approved by Congress. House Democratic leaders had already begun steps to bring the measure to the floor before the weekend strikes, and the bombing campaign only accelerated those efforts.
But passage remains uncertain in the Republican-controlled House and Senate, where GOP leaders largely praised the operation. But a small number of Republicans — including Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky — have signaled support for limiting the president’s authority, raising the possibility of a bipartisan vote.
Even if approved, Trump would be expected to veto the resolution. Overriding a veto would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers.
Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress holds the power to declare war, though presidents of both parties have relied on broader authorizations or executive authority to conduct military operations. Lawmakers passed the War Powers Resolution in 1973 in an effort to check presidential power after the Vietnam War.
The Bee’s Daniel Hunt contributed to this story.
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Nicole Buss is The Sacramento Bee’s Roseville/Placer County watchdog reporter. She previously covered Placer County at Gold Country Media. Buss grew up in Lincoln and is a graduate of Sierra College and Arizona State University.