A Democratic senator said Monday President Donald Trump does not possess the legal authority to order a preemptive military strike on North Korea without Congressional approval.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., appeared on CNN and was asked about the possibility that Trump could direct the Pentagon to conduct a "bloody nose" strike, which would be designed to destroy certain aspects of North Korea's military infrastructure and weaponry before it can use it against the United States or another country.
"There are a whole range of different possibilities and scenarios here, from striking a terrorist target, to essentially launching preventative war against North Korea," Van Hollen said. "I think in anybody's book, an attack on North Korea, a first attack, a preventative war attack, constitutes an act of war, which is contemplated under the Congressional authorities within our Constitution.
"We can argue about other cases, but this seems to be a very clear-cut case. … We should be focused on trying to make sure we maximize our pressure, especially economic pressure, on North Korea."
Van Hollen noted that he feels the Trump administration can do more in terms of economic sanctions to pressure North Korea to stop its pursuit of a nuclear weapon.
"I don't think that this administration has exhausted the sanctions enforcement, which is why Sen. [Pat] Toomey and I have introduced a bill that passed unanimously out of the banking committee and is pending on the floor of the Senate to really ratchet down more on firms in China and elsewhere who are facilitating the North Koreans."
North Korea has reached over to its southern neighbor in recent weeks ahead of the Olympics, which begin later this week in PyeongChang, South Korea. The two nations will march under one flag at the Opening Ceremony and will field a joint women's ice hockey team.
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