'Putting Americans at risk': Trump's 'Operation Epic Fury' under fire from 2028 Dem hopefuls

WASHINGTON, DC: A powerful coalition of Democratic leaders, widely viewed as the party's top 2028 presidential prospects, erupted in fierce opposition on Saturday, February 28, following the launch of 'Operation Epic Fury'.

The potential candidates slammed the joint US-Israeli military strikes as a "dangerous war of choice" that was initiated without a clear objective or constitutionally required approval from Congress.

The high-stakes backlash highlighted a deep partisan divide over the president’s decision to move from "maximum pressure" to active combat.

While the administration claimed that the strikes were necessary to thwart nuclear ambitions, these top Democrats argued that the president was gambling with the lives of American service members to distract from his domestic unpopularity.

Gavin Newsom slams 'illegal' and 'dangerous' escalation

California Governor Gavin Newsom delivered a stinging rebuke, asserting that the president’s actions were fundamentally illegal.

While Newsom conceded that the Iranian regime was "corrupt and repressive" and must never possess nuclear weapons, he flatly stated that these facts did not justify a war launched without justification to the American people.

"The leadership of Iran must go," Newsom acknowledged, but he warned that the president was "putting Americans at risk abroad because he is unpopular at home."

He characterized the operation as a reckless gamble that endangered both US troops and international allies.

JB Pritzker says the war has no justification and no objective

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker delivered a similarly blunt assessment, noting the total lack of Congressional oversight for the mission.

Pritzker summarized the offensive as having "no justification, no authorization from Congress, and no clear objective."

The governor expressed grave concern for the safety of those in uniform, suggesting that the president had prioritized political posturing over the welfare of the military.

"None of that matters to Donald Trump," Pritzker remarked, "and apparently neither do the safety and lives of American service members."

Pete Buttigieg warns of years of chaos

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned that the administration was repeating the catastrophic errors of the past by launching a war without a plan for the aftermath.

He argued that the "war of choice" ignored American law and did nothing to solve the urgent problems Americans were facing at home.

Buttigieg emphasized that the nation had learned the "hard way" from previous conflicts that unnecessary wars could lead to years of regional chaos. 

He asserted that the president's decision had put America in still greater danger by ignoring the long-term impacts of such an extensive military intervention.

Andy Beshear demands full explanation

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear invoked the painful legacy of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, noting that generations of Americans were still dealing with their long-term impacts.

He accused the president of breaking his promise to avoid foreign conflicts in favor of playing "political games."

Beshear insisted that the White House owed "Congress and the American people a full explanation" as the strikes had placed US troops at significant risk.