U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to launch "major combat operations" against Iran without congressional approval has triggered a bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill and ignited a debate over whether the "America First" promise is being sacrificed.

Despite a push for an emergency vote on war powers, legal experts told CGTN that Republican control of Congress may render any legal challenge "moot" before it can be debated.

'A clear violation' of U.S. Constitution

Following the launch of "Operation Epic Fury" against Iran without seeking legislative approval, a bipartisan coalition of U.S. lawmakers intensified demands for Congress to reassert its authority over the president's power to unilaterally wage war.

The effort, spearheaded by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine and Republican Representative Thomas Massie, argues that the Trump administration's military action constitutes a "dangerous" and "illegal" circumvention of the Constitution's separation of powers.

The administration's action is "a clear, almost admitted, violation of the Constitution," said David Super, a law and economics professor at Georgetown University Law Center, in an interview with CGTN.

Super noted that Trump and congressional Republicans have been pushing constitutional boundaries with some regularity since he returned to office, ranging from unauthorized military funding to the unprecedented four-year appropriation for the Army passed last summer.

Calling the Iran strikes "a colossal mistake," Kaine said in a statement that the Senate should "immediately" return to session and vote on the War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran. Some reports indicate a vote could come as early as Monday.

Super observed that with Republicans holding majorities in both chambers, any legal challenge might be rendered ineffective.

"Because Republicans control both chambers of Congress, they can make it very difficult for those resolutions to get to the floor for debates and votes," he said.

"Very likely by the time any resolution is considered by Congress, President Trump's actions will be completed and Republicans will have a political excuse for voting 'no': that the action was successful and the issue is moot."

A test of 'America First'

Washington's actions also appear to be in direct defiance of public sentiment. According to a January 2026 Quinnipiac University poll, 70 percent of registered voters believe Trump should seek congressional approval before taking military action against another country, and 7 out of 10 voters explicitly stated they did not want the U.S. to take military action against Iran.

Following the strikes, protests erupted in Los Angeles, New York, and other U.S. cities on Saturday. Demonstrators said that the U.S. government has no right to dictate how other nations should be governed and demanded that the war must end, according to China Media Group.

Polling has consistently shown that the vast majority of American voters oppose using the U.S. military for "regime change" overseas, Super said.

He noted that Trump recognized this public sentiment when he campaigned as the "peace candidate" and promised no more "forever wars" or attempts at regime change in 2024.

After the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Trump has turned the "America First" slogan into "Israel First."

That was echoed by an unlikely U.S. figure. "This is not 'America First,'" said Massie, the Republican representative, when blasting Trump's own presidential campaign slogan in the wake of the renewed strikes.

Sun Taiyi, a professor at Christopher Newport University in the United States, told CGTN that domestic political factors are equally significant in understanding the timing of the strikes.

"Facing mounting challenges at home – where previously advantageous issues such as the economy and immigration have become political liabilities – President Trump has incentives to generate a high-profile external development that can shift public attention and project strength," Sun said.