Why Congress Might Not Stop Trump’s War In Iran
What A Day
What A Day
4.6 • 12.6K Ratings
🗓️ 3 March 2026
⏱️ 21 minutes
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Summary
Today, Trump officials brief all of Congress on what, exactly, the administration’s objectives are in Iran. Until now, the Trump administration has given conflicting accounts as to why the U.S. attacked Iran on Saturday, and there are many questions members of Congress need to ask. But will they ask them, and will the answers even matter? Nicholas Wu, a congressional reporter for Semafor, explains what Congress is likely to do – and not do.
And in headlines, First Lady Melania Trump presides over a United Nations Security Council meeting about protecting children in conflict, a House committee releases videos from the Clintons’ Epstein testimony, and it’s primary day for voters in three Southern states.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | It's Tuesday, March 3rd. I'm Jane Koston, and this is what a day. |
| 0:07.2 | The show that felt so bad for Oklahoma Republican Senator Mark Wayne Mullen speaking on Fox Business Monday. |
| 0:12.5 | It really is tough to keep your Middle East conflicts straight. |
| 0:15.7 | But it's up to the Iraqi people, or I'm sorry, the Iranian people to choose their next leader. |
| 0:22.8 | I know. It's such an easy mistake to make. |
| 0:30.9 | On today's show, First Lady Melania Trump presides over a United Nations Security Council meeting about protecting children in conflict, something the Trump administration definitely cares about, |
| 0:40.3 | and its primary day for voters in three southern states. |
| 0:43.3 | But let's start with the war in Iran, and the battle over what to do about it in Congress. |
| 0:47.3 | As of our recording time on Monday, the U.S. and Israel are continuing to attack targets across Iran. |
| 0:52.3 | And in the first public address by a Trump |
| 0:55.2 | administration official since the attacks began, defense secretary Pete Hegseth, told reporters, |
| 0:59.5 | or more accurately, yelled at reporters on Monday that it's really none of their business or yours |
| 1:04.6 | what the U.S. is doing there. But going forward, why in the world would we tell you, you, the enemy, anybody, what we will |
| 1:13.2 | or will not do in pursuit of an objective? |
| 1:15.8 | We fight to win. |
| 1:17.0 | We fight to achieve the objectives the President of the United States has laid out, and |
| 1:21.5 | we will do so unapologetically. |
| 1:23.7 | But according to the War Powers resolution of 1973, it actually is Congress's business. |
| 1:28.9 | And lawmakers weren't fully briefed either. Until, hopefully, today, members of the Trump |
| 1:33.8 | administration, including Secretary Higzath, are briefing all of Congress on what exactly |
| 1:38.5 | the Trump administration's objectives are, because I still have no idea why the United States |
| 1:43.6 | started bombing around in the first |
... |
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