Trump's tweets about attacks don't count as congressional notice, Warren says in Iowa

DAVENPORT, Ia. — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Donald Trump is "wrong" to think a tweet would qualify as congressional notice for any attacks against Iran — a claim the president tweeted Sunday.

"Donald Trump just announces during his tweets whatever he thinks helps Donald Trump," she told reporters Sunday after a town hall in Davenport. "But saying it doesn’t make it so."

Some Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern that the president did not notify Congress before authorizing an attack that killed Iran Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Days later, Trump said his tweet "will serve as notification to the United States Congress" that he would authorize any retaliating strikes against Iran, "perhaps in a disproportionate manner," if the country orders attacks that harm "any U.S. person or target."

"Such legal notice is not required, but is given nevertheless!" he tweeted.

The War Powers Act of 1973 requires formal notification to Congress within 48 hours of military-style action.

The White House has said Thursday's strike was legally justified because Soleimani's organization had been declared terrorists and carried out a number of attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq. Trump and other officials have also argued that Soleimani was planning future attacks on U.S. interests in the region.

Campaigning in Iowa on Sunday, Warren said she questions Trump and his administration's justification for the strike. She made a similar statement to reporters on Saturday in Manchester, Iowa.

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"Immediately after they announced that they had killed this general, they had multiple different stories on why — they couldn’t keep their story straight," she said Sunday. "They pointed in all different directions, and now the president has taken us to the brink of war.”

Warren, who has called the killing of Soleimani an "assassination" ordered by Trump, said she does not want to see more troops deployed to the Middle East. She has called for the end of war in the region.

"We need a president who is calm and steady-hand(ed). We need a president who understands the importance of deescalating and getting out of conflict — not someone who just moves us closer and closer to the brink," she said.

"America is not safer today than we were a week ago. And that's due to Donald Trump."

Warren made her remarks to reporters after her fourth and final event on a two-day swing through eastern Iowa. At three events, Warren took questions from potential caucusgoers; none asked about Iran or the killing of Soleimani.

— USA TODAY's David Jackson contributed to this report.

Kim Norvell covers growth and development for the Register. Reach her at knorvell@dmreg.com or 515-284-8259.

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