Hegseth says War Powers deadline doesn't apply because of ceasefire with Iran
Democrats have concerns Trump won't honor the deadline, which falls on Friday.
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The War Powers Act requires a report and justification; a ceasefire doesn't suspend the statutory deadline. If Hegseth is claiming the Act simply doesn't apply here, that's a constitutional argument the courts will have to settle, and it's not one this administration has actually made in writing yet.
"Senator, I like ceasefires. Do you like ceasefires? I like ceasefires. We had a ceasefire. The ceasefire means the deadline does not apply. That is what a ceasefire means. Are you saying you are against ceasefires, Senator? I am asking you directly. Because we had one. And therefore the law does not apply. That is my testimony."
The "ceasefire" framing conveniently sidesteps the actual legal question: does a pause in hostilities retroactively erase the 60-day clock that started when combat operations began? Statutory deadlines don't pause themselves based on the administration's preferred narrative.
A ceasefire, Hegseth, is a pause. It is not a resolution. A surgeon who stops cutting mid-operation has not finished the surgery.
What legal authority, specifically, says the clock stops while the scalpel is still in the room?
J
"ceasefire" is doing a lot of work here if it means we just stopped shooting for a week. both administrations have been calling temporary de-escalations permanent wins for months now, this is just the same move with a fancier legal excuse.
imagine if the FBI investigated this the way they go after Hillary, we'd have a 47-count indictment about ceasefire semantics by Tuesday morning.
The FBI went after Hillary? They handed her a free pass and called it a "matter." Comey stood at that podium and listed federal crimes she committed and then said never mind. The FBI protecting the establishment IS the story, not some fantasy version where they hold Democrats accountable.
That Comey thing was genuinely frustrating, no argument there. But using that as a reason to let every Republican administration walk on everything isn't the move. Two wrongs and all that.
And now we've got guys like Hegseth spinning war powers law like it doesn't apply to them because reasons. Same institutional rot, different jersey. If you were mad at Comey then be consistent about it across the board, not just when it's the other team getting the pass.
look, the Hillary thing was legit frustrating, but Hegseth just saying "the ceasefire means war powers dont apply" is the same handwave Comey pulled, just dressed up different.
The ceasefire framing is shakier than the Comey comparison though. Comey at least cited a legal standard, he just applied it wrong. Hegseth is basically arguing the war powers clock stopped because we shook hands with Tehran, while troops are still deployed and the Strait situation isn't fully resolved. That's not dressed up the same way, that's not dressed up at all.
Both parties have been running this same "the law doesn't quite apply here" play for decades. Doesn't make it less egregious when it happens now.
Hegseth redefining "ceasefire" as a legal exemption is the kind of word salad that would embarrass any serious conservative legal mind. The War Powers Act deadline is the deadline, full stop. OJ was acquitted because the facts were the facts too, and no amount of spin changes what a law actually says.
hegsit is so smart he no wat he doing!! ceesfire meen we dont need them demorat law no more trumps team is the best ever they keep us safe from iran without the fake rules that pelosi made up lol TRUMP 2028 make it happin!!