Can Trump oppose Russia?

Rep. Adam Shiff, one of the Gang of Eight in the House, told Rachael Maddow this evening that Congress had just been informed by the Trump administration that they’d launched around 70 Tomahawk missiles against Syria.

Only Congress can authorize an act of war, but they were informed about the missile launch after the fact.

For now, Congress and the press continue to back Trump’s military action.  That’s generally good, I think, and I’m not criticizing too hard.  Yet.  But there are serious Constitutional questions that get urgent very quickly.

When Shiff questioned the administration about their legal standing, the response was, “We’re not sure.”  Of course, that’s another lie.  They either understand that they have no legal standing, or they’re impossibly incompetent.  Shiff acknowledges that nonexistent legal standing, too, but to his credit, he’s trying to work with the Trump administration.