Donald Trump is once again making reckless threats online, and this time he's putting the United States on a dangerous path toward war with Iran.
In the middle of the night, when he's even less rational than usual, Trump declared that if Iran responds violently to ongoing protests, "America will come to their rescue" and that the U.S. is "locked and loaded." These kinds of impulsive, unhinged statements are not foreign policy. They're a recipe for disaster.
Threatening military action on social media risks escalating tensions, undermining legitimate protest movements, and sleepwalking the country into a devastating conflict with a country that may already have nuclear capaibilities.
Trump's posturing doesn't help the people of Iran. It helps their government reframe protests as "Iran versus America," which can sap support from demonstrators and be misused to justify harsher crackdowns. Even worse, vague promises of U.S. intervention could give protesters false information and expectations that put lives at risk.
The United States has powerful military forces in the region, but they are not toys for impulsive, performative threats. Any confrontation with Iran carries enormous risks and must be approached with extreme caution.
Trump must stop making reckless threats that are fraught with danger. And Congress must use every power it has from the Constitution and the War Powers Act to prevent him from dragging the country into another unnecessary war.
Add your name: "We demand that Trump stop trying to drag us into war with Iran, and that Congress finally use its power to stop him."
