So it isn’t difficult to imagine a scenario in which Trump sent American forces into action without congressional approval — claiming an imminent attack, but offering no proof — then dared the House and Senate to do something about it. As already noted, history doesn’t suggest Congress would rise to that challenge.
In such a scenario, it is possible that the House could use its power of the purse to defund American military operations against Iran and thus force the president to bring the troops home. Politically it would be difficult — Trump could accuse lawmakers of failing to support American soldiers already in combat. And it’s unclear whether the president would bend to such tactics.
After all, Trump has already bypassed Congress on a funding matter once, using the defense budget to begin construction of a wall on the border with Mexico — after Congress refused to provide that funding in the first place. That dispute is still in the courts, but it offers an ominous guide to the president’s willingness to bypass normal constraints.
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