By Aaron Zitner

Hello. I'm Aaron Zitner, filling in for Damian Paletta. President Trump on Saturday said that "we're winning the war by a lot." He was returning from Dover Air Force Base, where he had attended the dignified transfer of the bodies of six servicemembers killed as part of the U.S. action against Iran. "It's a sad part of war," he said of the deaths.

But ask members of Congress if the U.S. is at war with Iran, and suddenly a reticence to use the word "war" appears.

"No, by definition, we're not at war," said Republican Sen. Thom Tillis on CNN on Sunday. Mike Waltz, the U.N. ambassador, tiptoed around the word. "I describe it as Iran's been at war with us," he said on NBC.

It's a classic "only in Washington" moment to see missile exchanges, drone attacks and the resulting deaths divorced from the plain meaning of the word "war." But the tortured locution speaks to one of the most pressing challenges facing Congress: The Constitution gives lawmakers powers that they aren't using.

Under the Constitution, Congress holds the power to declare war. Congress hasn't done so in the case of Iran -- so, in that sense, we are not at war. But lawmakers have given presidents wide latitude under the War Powers Act, which allows a president to deploy U.S. forces for 60 days before a vote of Congress is needed to continue the action.

Chances are growing for a new vote that could push lawmakers to affirmatively back or reject the war. (They have voted once to reject limits on Trump in Iran). If the U.S. places troops on the ground, that could bring the War Powers Act into play, Tillis said, by pushing the military engagement beyond 60 days and forcing Congress to hold a vote. That prospect has gained more attention, as Trump this weekend declined to rule out ground troops, as the U.S. and Israeli military campaign tests the limits of air power.

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People and Policies I'm Watching

Conflict in Iran: Follow live updates as developments unfold rapidly, with G-7 to discuss the possible release of oil reserves after oil prices surge past $100 a barrel, unleashing the most severe energy crisis since the 1970s, and Iran signals a fight to the end by appointing Khamenei's son.

Trump's sons: Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. are backing a new drone company vying to meet fresh demand from the Pentagon and fill a hole left by the administration's ban on new Chinese drones in the U.S.

Trump's Monday: After "executive time" at 8 a.m. Eastern time in Miami, the president is to take part in a roundtable at 3:30 p.m. and to deliver remarks to the Republican Members Issues Conference at 4:35 p.m., after which he is to return to Washington, D.C.

What I'm Following

Gas prices are piling Iran war pressure on Trump. He heads into the second week of the war under growing pressure to address surging gasoline prices, stretched-thin munitions stockpiles and sustained opposition to the conflict among voters, including many in his MAGA movement. With the long-feared Persian Gulf oil squeeze upon us, the White House has tasked federal agencies with providing options to lower the cost of gasoline.

Is inflation cooling or stubbornly high? As energy prices rise, the inflation picture is being muddied by an unusual divergence between two key gauges of consumer costs -- the consumer-price index (CPI) and price index of personal-consumption expenditures (PCE). How it gets resolved could be more important for inflation than events in the Middle East, with economics columnist Greg Ip arguing that the oil shock probably won't derail the economy, though he also sees a way that it might.

Americans are now a target in Trump's immigration crackdown. The Wall Street Journal has found that the Department of Homeland Security, created in 2002 to protect Americans, has turned its force against citizens. Of the 279 people accused by officials on X of attacking federal officers in the past year, 181 were U.S. citizens. Close to half of those Americans were never charged with assault. None has been convicted at trial. Yet names, mug shots and other identifying details posted by the government put a bull's-eye on them.

What Else Is Happening

   -- The Senate's new housing bill would force large investors to sell homes. 
 
   -- Federal Trade Commission head Andrew Ferguson has found the formula for 
      antitrust enforcement in the MAGA era. 
 
   -- How Jeffrey Epstein's network reached from Silicon Valley to Harvard and 
      Buckingham Palace through 40 famous names and those who have resigned or 
      been arrested. 
 
   -- The hottest and most exclusive MAGA status symbol is a $145 pair of 
      leather oxfords. Prefer a wingtip, loafer or monk strap? Black or brown? 
      Trump's got you. 

What I'm Reading

   -- Major Airports Grapple With Hourslong Security Wait Times and TSA 
      Staffing Shortages (NBC News) 
 
   -- They Came to Spy on America. They Stayed to Coach Little League. 
      (Politico) 
 
   -- Judge Rules Kari Lake Unlawfully Ran U.S. Media Agency, Voiding Layoffs 
      (The Washington Post) 

About this Newsletter

WSJ Politics brings you an expert guide to what's driving D.C., every weekday morning. Send your feedback to politics@wsj.com (if you're reading this in your inbox, you can just hit reply). This edition was curated and edited in collaboration with Joe Erwin and Michael Connolly. Got a tip for us? Here's how to submit.

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March 09, 2026 07:04 ET (11:04 GMT)

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