Vice President JD Vance said that, while he had some objections to the war against Iran, he believes it is legal and supports President Donald Trump.
Appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience Wednesday, the Vice President was asked if he would have started a war against Iran. Vance refused to answer the question but indicated that he objected to the conflict before it was started.
JD Vance on the Iran War:
“I’m not a public commentator. My approach to this is not to Monday morning quarterback a decision that was made three months ago. My approach is to make it as successful as possible.” pic.twitter.com/keOhbwZqVa
— The American Conservative (@amconmag) July 15, 2026
He continued, “Once a President makes a decision, so long as I think it’s legal and ethical, I certainly think what we did has been legal.”
However, the war against Iran is clearly unconstitutional. The Constitution requires the President to receive a Declaration of War from Congress before starting a conflict. Congress has not passed a Declaration of War or any other form of authorization against Iran.
The White House has attempted to rely on the War Powers Act to claim Trump had the authority to launch the war. The War Powers Act allows the President to fight a defensive war for 60 days, until Congress can gather to give the President authority to continue the war or require him to end it.
Iran did not attack the US before Washington and Tel Aviv launched a massive wave of strikes on Iran. At the time of the attack, the US and Iran were actively engaged in negotiations.
Even if the War Powers Act would allow Trump to wage war for 60 days without Congressional authorization, that deadline has passed, and the President is actively ordering strikes on Iran.
Additionally, Vance’s claim that the war is ethical is dubious. During the opening round of strikes, the US bombed a school multiple times, killing over 160 children. Trump has also threatened to destroy the entire Iranian society.
