Going beyond their critique of the infamous Signal chat, progressives demanded to know the White House’s legal justification for its Yemen strikes.
By Matt Sledge, The Intercept
Progressives in Congress demanded that President Donald Trump justify his legal rationale for strikes in Yemen that caused dozens of deaths, teeing up a potential move to stop future attacks under the 1973 War Powers Act.
Democrats would face long odds invoking congressional war powers to block Trump as long as Republicans control Congress, but a letter sent to the White House on Wednesday and obtained by The Intercept represents a break from the party’s approach to the attacks against Yemen. Until now, Democrats have centered their critiques on the scandal over the administration’s planning of a March 16 strike on the Signal messaging app.
While progressives are still worried about the Trump administration’s slipshod information security, they are also deeply concerned about what is happening in Yemen, says the letter led by Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.; Ro Khanna, D-Calif.; and Val Hoyle, D-Ore., who were joined by 30 members.

“While we share concerns about maritime security in the Red Sea,” the representatives wrote, “we call on your Administration to immediately cease unauthorized use of military force and instead seek specific statutory authorization from Congress before involving the U.S. in an unconstitutional conflict in the Middle East, which risks endangering U.S. military personnel in the region and escalating into a regime-change war.”
Trump is under no obligation to respond to the letter. His administration has brushed aside critiques of the strikes’ planning while touting the strikes themselves as a victory — despite signs that they have done little to deter the Houthis, the group ruling most of Yemen whose attacks in protest of Israel’s war on Gaza have halted much of the maritime traffic through the Red Sea.
The letter could lay the groundwork for a push from Democrats to end or curtail future strikes on Yemen.
Recent Posts
A Hell Made for the Innocent: Of Monsters, Media, And The Gentle Language Of Genocide
July 30, 2025
Take Action Now Consider these words, from a Washington Post headline: “Gazans are dying of hunger.” That’s like saying a gunshot victim “died from…
Trump Wants To Stop Regulating Greenhouse Gases Entirely
July 30, 2025
Take Action Now The decision could have far-reaching consequences — including for the fossil fuel industry, which may find itself exposed to a flood…
‘MORAL INJURY’: Murdered In Gaza, Disappeared In America
July 30, 2025
Take Action Now It’s the concept that violence and injustice have more victims than the directly victimized. And can affect how we function and…
A Putz At Fascism, Too! Trump’s Feral, Libertarian Despotism Ordains Oligarchy, Not Centralized Dominance Or Unifying Vision
July 29, 2025
Take Action Now Trumpist extremism turns out to be a particularly noxious, authoritarian brew better called “oligarchic, authoritarian…