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Trump’s Disregard for International Humanitarian Law Won’t End When the Iran War Does

As political pressure to end the war grows, Americans must not overlook the president’s blatant violations of the rule of law, abroad and at home.

President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House on May 27, 2026.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed a resolution by a vote of 215–208 “seeking to halt Trump from taking further military action amid growing opposition to the war.” President Trump called the vote “meaningless” and lambasted the four Republican signers as “unpatriotic” and “GRANDSTANDERS” who “should be ashamed of themselves.”

This comes after Trump’s various failed efforts to secure a deal and end the war. To be clear, with growing concern from Democratic and Republican members of Congress, worry from allied nations, and anxiety from business leaders, Trump is under pressure to end the war. However, even if Congress clutches the reins, Americans and the rest of the world should be alarmed by Trump’s dangerous bravado and disregard for the rule of law.

The DOJ’s Shameful Abuse of Power Must Be Reined In Michele Goodwin

The DOJ’s Shameful Abuse of Power Must Be Reined In

The Escalating Nuclear Threat Finally Has the Public’s Attention. Now What? Katrina vanden Heuvel

The Escalating Nuclear Threat Finally Has the Public’s Attention. Now What?

Trump Doesn’t Have the Authority. What Happens When He Does It Anyway? Michele Goodwin and Gregory Shaffer

Trump Doesn’t Have the Authority. What Happens When He Does It Anyway?

We think an investigation is needed to understand just how dangerous Donald Trump is not only on domestic policy, but also on global affairs. As president of the United States, Trump has consistently shown disregard and contempt for the separation of powers, imposing tariffs, ignoring the Constitution, starting wars, and claiming budgetary control not authorized for a president. His conduct has been so brazen that even the US Supreme Court, which has shown a mystifying level of solicitude toward Trump, smacked his hands in the tariffs case. As Chief Justice John Roberts made clear in the court’s ruling, the “power to impose tariffs” has been vested with Congress for over 200 years.

However, neither time and tradition nor orderly governing appear to mean very much to a president who prioritizes corruption and cruelty over human rights, and war over diplomacy. For example, reaching a deal in Iran—or the attempt to—might obscure the many shocking ways that Donald Trump and his administration actively ignore international protocols, domestic laws, and trade diplomacy for violence.

Early in the Iran war, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated his disdain for international humanitarian law. He said at a March press conference, “No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement, just common sense, maximum lethality and authority for warfighters.” In essence, the Trump administration has leveraged this “common sense” against the US Constitution, federal laws, and international treaties.

This preoccupation with lethality has been a fixation of Hegseth’s since his confirmation hearing, during which he refused to commit........

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