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In his election campaign last year, President Donald Trump ran as a peacemaker, promising to 鈥渆nd the endless foreign wars.鈥� Now he has opted for war, joining Israel鈥檚 conflict with Iran. U.S. bombers attacked three of the nation鈥檚 key nuclear facilities overnight.

President Trump, it turns out, is more of a traditional 鈥減eace through strength鈥� Republican than the 鈥淎merica First鈥� isolationist many in his MAGA base had hoped or even assumed he would be.

In an address to the nation from Washington late Saturday night, Mr. Trump called the U.S. attacks on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan a 鈥渟pectacular military success,鈥� saying that Iran鈥檚 uranium enrichment sites had been 鈥渢otally obliterated.鈥� It was unclear whether or how the U.S. had confirmed the extent of damage.

鈥淚ran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace,鈥� Mr. Trump said from the White House. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stood behind him.

Israel went to war against Iran on June 13, targeting its nuclear program and killing key scientists and military commanders, including the head of Iran鈥檚 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Since then, Mr. Trump had faced pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deploy 30,000-pound 鈥渂unker-buster bombs鈥� against Iran. Those are carried by B-2 stealth bombers, which only the U.S. possesses.

Saturday evening, after the B-2s had completed their mission, Mr. Trump that the three Iranian sites had been attacked, with 鈥渁 full payload of BOMBS 鈥� dropped on the primary site, Fordow.鈥�

鈥淣OW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!鈥� he wrote on Truth Social.

Trump warns Iran against retaliation

But key questions remained, including how Iran will respond, and whether the U.S. and Israel determine that followup attacks are needed to completely neutralize Iran鈥檚 nuclear program.

Mr. Trump dropped out of the 2015 multination nuclear accord with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, in his first term. He then said he could negotiate a better deal 鈥� and has been pushing for one with Iran for months.

On Thursday, Mr. Trump said he would make a decision within two weeks on whether to use military force against Iran. But just two days later, he pulled the trigger.

He followed up the attack with a threat in all CAPS : 鈥淎ny retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight.鈥�

Congressional response

Republican leaders in the House and Senate fell in line behind Mr. Trump.

鈥淭he President鈥檚 decisive action prevents the world鈥檚 largest state sponsor of terrorism, which chants 鈥楧eath to America,鈥� from obtaining the most lethal weapon on the planet,鈥� House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said in a statement. 鈥淭his is America First policy in action.鈥�

鈥淚 stand with President Trump,鈥� Senate majority leader John Thune of South Dakota

Still, not all Republicans were on board. 鈥淭his is not Constitutional,鈥� Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky , a reference to the fact that the framers assigned to Congress the .

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, echoed Representative Massie鈥檚 statement: 鈥淲e must enforce the War Powers Act and I鈥檓 urging Leader Thune to put it on the Senate floor immediately.鈥�

But Mr. Trump has not let congressional resolutions on war powers hinder him in the past, and isn鈥檛 expected to this time. So, too, are his core supporters expected to rally to his side over his decision to bomb Iran.

At a Monitor Breakfast last week, Trump ally Steve Bannon told reporters that he opposed a U.S. military intervention in Iran, but if it happened, he expected the president鈥檚 supporters to rally around him.