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Congressional Democrats and activists are criticizing President Trump for launching a missile strike against Syria without congressional authorization which means that Trump illegally escalated the US military’s role in Syria.

Ilya Sheyman, executive director of MoveOn.org Political Action, said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA:



This illegal and unauthorized escalation could have devastating consequences, killing innocent Syrians and costing the lives of U.S. service members.

Let’s be clear: There’s no doubt that Bashar Assad is a brutal dictator who has slaughtered his own people and is complicit in the use of chemical weapons. But this is no humanitarian mission. These are missiles ordered by a flailing president with plummeting approval ratings, trying to show how ‘tough’ he can be. The result will likely be increased suffering for the Syrian people. And this unilateral U.S. attack could possibly even draw in Russia and Iran, which have been close partners of the Assad regime.

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Congress must not allow Trump to act unilaterally. It must stay in session and force consideration of an Authorization for Use of Military Force before any more military action is taken. And moreover, members of Congress should vote ‘no’ to Trump’s march to war.

The activists aren’t alone. Democratic congressional leaders immediately pointed out that Trump acted unilaterally without the approval of Congress. The only thing that Trump’s missile strike has accomplished is that it escalated the US role in the Syrian conflict. True to character, the Trump administration appears to have taken a knee-jerk unilateral reaction without a long-term strategy.

Donald Trump wants Americans to be blinded by flag waving into not asking the critical questions of what his unauthorized executive action means, and what the next step is in Syria?