Trump: 60-Day War Powers Deadline ‘Totally Unconstitutional’

‘Totally Unconstitutional’

Friday marked the 60-day deadline for U.S. President Donald Trump to end the fighting in Iran. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are pushing for Trump to seek formal approval from Congress to declare war. However, Trump signaled on Friday that he will not seek a congressional vote, arguing instead that the 60-day clock is “totally unconstitutional.”

Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the U.S. president has 60 days from when Congress first received formal notice of the conflict to terminate offensive operations or have Congress either declare war or authorize the continued use of military force. The White House can extend this period for another 30 days but only to safely withdraw troops—not to continue an offensive campaign.

Yet the Trump administration has argued that the U.S.-Iran cease-fire, which went into effect on April 7 and was extended indefinitely last week, has paused the clock. “We are in a cease-fire now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a cease-fire,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday.

However, the War Powers law provides no mechanism for pausing the 60-day time limit when a truce is in place. “That deadline is not a suggestion; it is a requirement,” Republican Sen. Susan Collins said on Thursday, arguing that “further military action against Iran must have a clear mission, achievable goals, and a defined strategy for bringing the conflict to a close.”

Richard Goldberg, a former National Security Council official in Trump’s first term who is now at the hawkish Washington think tank the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, suggested that the White House could try to circumvent the War Powers deadline by declaring a new mission that would serve as a sequel to Operation Epic Fury. That new mission, Goldberg told The Associated Press, “would inherently be a mission of self-defense focused on reopening the [Strait of Hormuz] while reserving the right to offensive action in support of restoring freedom of navigation.” Throughout the U.S.-Iran cease-fire, Tehran has maintained its chokehold on the strategic waterway, and the U.S. Navy has continued its blockade of Iranian ports.

Peace negotiations have reached a stalemate, as both sides are unwilling to end their maritime operations. Iran has reportedly sent a fresh peace proposal to Pakistani mediators to try to push past this deadlock, but Trump told reporters on Friday that he remains unhappy. “Iran wants to make a deal, but I’m not satisfied with it,” he said. Trump did not specify what demands remain in contention.

“There are options: Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever, or do we want to try and make a deal?” Trump added. Although the U.S. president said that his preference is not to restart the bombing campaign, Trump confirmed on Friday that he has received a U.S. Central Command briefing that proposed resuming strikes to push negotiations forward.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people celebrated May Day on Friday with mass protests demanding higher wages amid rising energy prices caused by the Iran war. “Working people refuse to pay the price for Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East,” said the European Trade Union Confederation, which represents 93 trade union organizations in 41 European countries. “Today’s rallies show working people will not stand by and see their jobs and living standards destroyed.”

Today’s Most Read

What We’re Following

Rising antisemitism. British authorities charged a 45-year-old man on Friday with two counts of attempted murder for stabbings that targeted two Jewish men in London earlier this week. Both individuals were wearing clothing associated with the Orthodox Jewish denomination when they were assaulted. Police are treating the incidents as a terrorist attack with potential links to Iran.

Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya, a pro-Iranian Islamist group, has claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s stabbings as well as for other assaults against Jewish people in recent months, including attacks on synagogues in Belgium and the Netherlands. Counterterrorism officials are investigating whether the group has direct ties to Iran or its proxies to determine whether this slew of attacks is part of Tehran’s asymmetrical warfare strategy against Jews.

Reports of antisemitism across Europe have risen since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. On Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer raised the country’s threat level from “substantial” to “severe” in response to the most recent stabbings; “severe” is the second-highest level on London’s five-tier scale, as it means that intelligence agencies believe that another attack is highly likely in the next six months. Starmer also pledged on Thursday to increase security for Jewish communities, announcing $34 million in protection measures.

Moment of multilateralism. The long-awaited European Union-Mercosur trade deal took provisional effect on Friday. After 25 years of negotiations between EU and South American officials, the free-trade agreement will now create an integrated market worth around $22 trillion and consisting of more than 700 million consumers—making it one of the largest free-trade zones in the world. Together, the EU and Mercosur blocs account for roughly 30 percent of global GDP.

Foreign leaders on both sides of the Atlantic heralded the deal’s implementation on Friday as a win for multilateralism. “Together we send a powerful message to the world. That openness and partnership create prosperity for all,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva echoed that sentiment, calling the agreement’s enactment an “exercise of democracy.”

Yet not everyone is thrilled with the deal. Several European officials, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have accused the agreement of failing to safeguard European interests, arguing that the EU will be flooded with cheap food imports that will ultimately raise prices and weaken environmental regulations. They have challenged the deal’s legality at the EU Court of Justice, prompting von der Leyen to provisionally enact the deal to sidestep Parliament.

Punishing NATO. Trump on Thursday threatened to remove U.S. troops from two NATO allies—Italy and Spain—following similar threats he made toward Germany earlier this week. All three European countries have been critical of the United States’ handling of the Iran war, and both Rome and Madrid have denied the U.S. military from using their bases to launch attacks.

Italy has “not been of any help to us,” Trump told reporters on Thursday, while calling Spain “absolutely horrible.” Earlier this week he accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of thinking that “it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” a claim that Berlin denies. His remarks came after Merz warned on Monday that the Trump administration has “no truly convincing strategy” in the negotiations with Iran and said that the United States is being “humiliated” by Tehran.

As of December 2025, the United States had around 68,000 active-duty troops in Europe. Of those, more than 36,000 were stationed in Germany, around 12,660 were located in Italy, and nearly 4,000 were based in Spain—making up more than 75 percent of the United States’ entire European presence. Experts argue that withdrawing these forces would be catastrophic for the continent’s security at a time when Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO for placing too heavy of a defense burden on Washington.

What in the World?

Mali’s junta leader met with Russia’s ambassador to the country on Tuesday, just days after what took place?

A. Coordinated Islamist attacks on several Malian cities

Odds and Ends

Banksy has struck again—this time in the heart of London. The elusive street artist claimed credit on Thursday for a new statue near the Mall, a ceremonial route between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. The sculpture depicts a man, blinded by a flag that has flown into his face, teetering off the edge of a plinth. Some commentators believe that the piece is a critique of blind patriotism. Yet the city of Westminster’s council appears just happy to have a Banksy in its collection. “We welcome ‌Banksy’s ⁠latest sculpture in Westminster, which makes a striking addition to the city’s vibrant public art scene,” a council spokesperson said.

And the Answer Is…

A. Coordinated Islamist attacks on several Malian cities

Moscow claimed its local paramilitary group, the Africa Corps, had prevented a coup in Mali over the weekend but still announced its departure from Kidal, one of the targeted cities, in a statement on Monday, FP’s Nosmot Gbadamosi reports in Africa Brief.

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