President Donald Trump's decision to launch a military strike on Iran's nuclear sites without fully consulting the U.S. Congress layered a partisan approach onto a risky action, particularly because the White House briefed top Republican leaders beforehand while leaving Democrats with little information.

The bombing marked a stark reversal from Trump’s campaign rhetoric to “expel the warmongers from our government,” and escalated divisions within the GOP. Some downplayed the shift to maintain their loyalty to the president.