Democrats back off calls for troops to refuse orders in Iran conflict

Amid ongoing hostilities with Iran, Democrats have ignored past calls from some in their party for the U.S. armed forces to “reject illegal orders” even as they broadly argue that President Donald Trump’s use of the military without legislative approval is on shaky ground.

“The soldiers are in no way responsible for this illegal war. The responsibility lies solely and simply with the president,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. he said.

“We always support the troops. They are following orders,” said Rep. Daren Soto, D-Fla. “This is about a debate about whether we should be there.”

The comments come several months after six members of Congress with military backgrounds urged service members to ignore unconstitutional directives.

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“You must reject illegal orders,” said Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich. “Do not abandon the ship.”

The six MPs included: Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa. and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo.

Lawmakers did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment when asked what these calls meant in the context of the conflict with Iran.

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Efforts to pass a war powers resolution that would restrict Trump’s military powers in Iran have failed amid partisan disagreement over whether the president’s actions fall within what the Constitution allows without Congressional approval.

A war power resolution that would force Trump to remove US forces from Iran failed in the House of Representatives on Thursday by a vote of 213 to 214.

Democrats cite the War Powers Act of 1973, saying the law requires a president to get approval from lawmakers before engaging in a conflict lasting more than 60 days.

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A cloud of smoke rises from the strike zone in Tehran on early March 28, 2026. (Atta Kenare/AFP)

“The president says this is a ‘trip,’ but it’s not,” said Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill. “We have to call it what it is. This is a war.”

Republicans and other advocates of the conflict have noted that the war with Iran has not yet reached that point.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined Republicans in pushing back against challenges to the president’s authority.

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“I’m the only Democrat who supports Epic Fury,” Fetterman said, referring to the operational name of the conflict in Iran.

“And now we’re on day 48 of this. None of this is illegal,” he added.

Still, Democrats have criticized the president for dragging the country into a conflict they say is far from a meaningful solution.

Blumenthal called on the administration to provide lawmakers with more information about a possible timeline for resolution and more details about the status of the conflict.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks with a reporter as he arrives at the U.S. Capitol for the vote on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)

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“One of the complaints – and this is one of the two parties – is that we have no accurate information, even in a classified environment, about how the blockade is going, what the cost of the war is,” Blumenthal said. he said.

Although Trump has said talks between the United States and Iran are trying to end the conflict completely, it remains unclear whether ceasefire talks will permanently end hostilities.