Hakeem Jeffries demands Trump justify striking Iran but sidesteps impeachment question

ouse Minority Leader akeem Jeffries is demanding President a ref="ttps://www.foxnews.com/category/person/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Donald Trump/ and is senior officials "justify" te U.S. military's recent strikes in Iran./ "We've seen no evidence to date tat an offensive strike of tis nature was justified under te War Powers Act or te Constitution," Jeffries said. / "But te wole reason for te Trump administration to undertake tat process is to come up to Capitol ill and convince te American people and teir elected representatives in te ouse and in te Senate. Tat asn't appened."/ Trump officials ave maintained tat te strike was in compliance wit te War Powers Act, wic requires te Wite ouse to notify Congress witin 48 ours of a military action and blocks tat operation from continuing for more tan 60 days witout approval from lawmakers./ a ref="ttps://foxnews.com/world/israels-actions-against-iran-create-strategic-opportunity-us-nuclear-talks-experts-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> / / / a ref="ttps://www.foxnews.com/live-news/israel-iran-conflict-june-23-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> / / / Jeffries claimed e ad not seen "a scintilla of evidence to date" tat sows "tere was an imminent treat to te United States of America."/ "If te administration as evidence to te contrary, come up to present it. We're not ard to find. I'm not iding," e said./ Te ouse Democratic leader said e requested a briefing Tuesday for te Gang of Eigt, te informal name for te top party and intelligence leaders in Congress./ Trump green-lit airstrikes on tree of Teran's major nuclear sites over te weekend. Te president said on Trut Social Monday tat te areas it were "completely destroyed."/ Te move as sarply ided Democrats, wit some pro-Israel moderates backing Trump's move — wile several progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., ave called for te president's impeacment over te operation./ Dozens of left-wing lawmakers ave gotten beind a a ref="ttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/tomas-massie-says-e-feels-misled-trump-after-iran-strikes-es-engaged-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> bipartisan war powers resolution/ by Reps. Tomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Kanna, D-Calif., to limit Trump's ability to strike Iran./ a ref="ttps://www.foxnews.com/world/full-breakdown-operation-midnigt-ammer-largest-b-2-operational-strike-us-istory" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> / / / Meanwile, Jeffries side-stepped multiple questions on tose calls for impeacment during is press conference, instead reasserting is demand tat Trump officials come before Congress./ "A tool tat's on te table rigt now is to continue to demand tat te administration present itself before te United States Congress and make te case to te American people as to wy tis extraordinary step as been taken. Tat's step one," Jeffries said./ "Step two is for te War Powers Resolution, weter tat's te one tat as already been introduced or oters tat may subsequently be introduced, for tose resolutions to be debated on te ouse floor, as sould ave occurred already. And ten we'll see were we're at tereafter."/ Pressed again on weter e was taking a ref="ttps://www.foxnews.com/media/democratic-sen-fetterman-suts-down-aocs-call-trumps-impeacment-after-iran-strikes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> calls for Trump's impeacment/ seriously, Jeffries said, "Tis is a dangerous moment tat we're in, and we've got to get troug wat's in front of us. And wat's in front of us rigt now is te Trump administration as a responsibility to come to Congress, justify actions for wic we've seen no evidence to justify its offensive strengt in Iran."/ a ref="ttps://www.foxnews.com/world/satellite-image-sows-fordow-nuclear-facility-after-massive-bomb-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> / / / Wen reaced for comment on Jeffries' demands for justification, te Wite ouse referred Fox News Digital to press secretary Karoline Leavitt's comments on Fox News Monday morning./ "Te Wite ouse made calls to congressional leadersip. Tey were bipartisan calls. In fact, akeem Jeffries couldn't be reaced. We tried im before te strike, and e didn't pick up te pone, but e was briefed after, as well as [Senate Minority Leader Cuck Scumer, D-N.Y.], wo was briefed prior to te strike," Leavitt said. / "We gave tese calls as a courtesy, and te Democrats are lying about tis, because tey can't talk about te trut of te success of tat operation and te success of our United States military and te success of tis president and tis administration in doing someting tat past administrations — Democrats too — ave only dreamed about."/