Democrats are pushing back on calls for the military to refuse orders in the Iran conflict
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Amid ongoing tensions with Iran, Democrats have rejected past calls by some of their party's top figures for the US armed forces to “reject illegal orders,” as they have widely emphasized that President Donald Trump's use of the military is in a precarious position without legal authorization.
“The soldiers are not at all suspicious of this illegal war. The president is solely responsible,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
“We always support the military. They follow orders,” said Rep. Daren Soto, D-Fla., “This is about a debate about whether we should be there or not.”
The comments come six months after members of Congress with military backgrounds urged service members to ignore unconstitutional orders.
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WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 27: Sena. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) speaks to the media outside the Senate Chambers after voting at the US Capitol on February 27, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Senate will take up budget deliberations after the House passes a spending bill on Feb. 25, 2025. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images) (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
“You must reject illegal orders,” said Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., “Don't abandon ship.”
The six lawmakers include: Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., Rep. Maggie Goodlander, DN.H., Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo.
Lawmakers did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment when asked what those calls meant in the context of the conflict with Iran.
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Efforts to pass a military power resolution that would limit Trump's military presence in Iran have failed amid sharp divisions over whether the president's actions fall within what the Constitution allows without congressional approval.
A military power resolution that would have forced Trump to withdraw US troops from Iran failed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 213-214 on Thursday.
Democrats, citing the War Powers Act of 1973, note that the law requires the president to get approval from lawmakers before entering into a conflict that has been ongoing for the past 60 days.
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Smoke rises from a strike site in Tehran early March 28, 2026. (Atta Kenare/AFP)
“The president says it's a 'trip' which is not,” said Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill.,. “We have to call it what it is. It's a war.”
Republicans and other advocates of the conflict have noted that war with Iran has not yet reached that point.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined Republicans in challenging the president's authority.
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“I was the only Democrat who supported Epic Fury,” Fetterman said, referring to the name of the Iran conflict.
“And now we have 48 days on this. None of this was illegal,” he added.
However, the Democrats have criticized the president for dragging the country into a conflict that they say is far from a meaningful decision.
Blumenthal asked the administration to provide lawmakers with more information about a timeline for a potential resolution and more details about the nature of the conflict.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks to a reporter as he arrives at the US Capitol to vote on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
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“One of the complaints — and it's bipartisan — is that we don't have accurate information about how the ban is going, what the costs of the war are, even in a classified environment,” Blumenthal said.
Although Trump said the US-Iran negotiations are working to end the conflict once and for all, it is not clear whether the talks will end the hostilities once and for all.
