Sen. Tammy Baldwin Calls Out Trump’s War with Iran as Illegal and Costly Disaster

Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin, delivered a blunt rebuke of the Trump administration’s handling of the escalating conflict with Iran, calling it an illegal and costly war of choice. Speaking to PBS Wisconsin’s Frederica Freyberg, Baldwin highlighted the administration’s reckless decision to abandon the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — an agreement that had successfully contained Iran’s nuclear ambitions through rigorous inspections — and instead plunge the country into a dangerous military confrontation.

“We were not under attack from Iran. We were not under imminent threat of attack,” Baldwin emphasized. “In those circumstances, the president needs to come to Congress to authorize use of military force. He didn’t.” The result, she noted, has been tragic: 13 U.S. service members killed, hundreds more wounded, and soaring prices for gasoline and fertilizer that are squeezing American families and farmers already battered by previous trade wars.

Baldwin also criticized the administration’s attempt to circumvent the War Powers Resolution by declaring the war “concluded” while hostilities persist, calling this a blatant dodge to avoid congressional oversight. “We are clearly in a war and it is an unmitigated disaster for the U.S. and the global economy,” she said.

The senator warned that the worst outcome would be a weakened America — both economically and in terms of national security — and serious damage to the rule of law, as executive overreach goes unchecked. She voiced hope that growing bipartisan support in Congress for war powers resolutions could bring the conflict to a swift end through diplomacy.

At home, Baldwin said her constituents are feeling the pinch acutely. Gas prices in Wisconsin have soared to an average of $4.50 per gallon, and farmers face fertilizer shortages and skyrocketing costs that threaten their planting season. “Overwhelming opposition to the war” comes from people “just feeling the squeeze,” she said.

Looking ahead to midterm elections, Baldwin predicted voters will favor candidates who oppose the war and promise to serve as a check on the president’s unchecked power.

Baldwin also touched on the upcoming Farm Bill, criticizing the House version for failing to restore vital nutrition funding and omitting key provisions she champions, including support for dairy businesses and rural water safety programs.

This stark assessment from Senator Baldwin lays bare the human, economic, and legal costs of Trump’s unauthorized war with Iran — a conflict driven not by necessity but by political calculation and disregard for democratic accountability.