On the night of April 7, just hours before his self-imposed deadline, President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran. The war in Iran has been costing the United States: About 6 in 10 Americans oppose it, and rising costs are hardening that opposition. His sudden push for a quick resolution, along with his self-imposed deadlines, shows a president reacting to a collapsing political position.

The Constitution makes it hard to go to war alone for a reason. Wars require consensus to endure. Without it, public support erodes quickly, especially once the costs start to bite.

Trump should have gone to Congress, not just because the Constitution requires it, but also because it would have made the war easier to sustain. Congressional approval forces lawmakers to own the decision, and that shared responsibility makes the public more willing to absorb the costs.

Trump did the opposite. He acted alone, and Americans have little appetite for a war they never agreed........

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