Over Memorial Day weekend, I engaged in a public exchange on Facebook with Republican Rep. Dan Meuser (PA-09). What began as a critique of President Trump’s demands for personal loyalty in Republican primaries quickly evolved into a broader discussion about war powers, the Constitution, and what it truly means to put America First.
Instead of engaging on the substance, Rep. Meuser resorted to personal attacks. He accused me of being on the “team” of Iran, North Korea, Gaza, China, Russia, and Cuba simply for raising constitutional concerns about the war in Iran. He suggested I should “visit a country like Iran… since you are apparently on their team.” This is not only disappointing but emblematic of a troubling trend in our movement: the substitution of a personality cult for principled conservatism.
Support for a leader is not blind fealty. As I wrote in the exchange, the Constitution rules – “not loyalty to a party or President.” I will support the President when he acts in the best interest of America. I will criticize him when he does not. That is my right as an American, regardless of political party.
At the heart of the disagreement was President Trump’s decision to launch military action against Iran. In my view, “He violated both the War Powers Resolution and the United States Constitution.” Article I, Section 8 vests Congress – not the executive branch – with the power to declare war. The Framers deliberately separated this authority to prevent any single man from dragging America into endless foreign conflicts at great cost in blood and treasure.
As James Madison warned in the Helvidius-Pacificus debates: “In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace to the legislature, and not to the executive department… The trust and the temptation would be too great for any one man.” The purpose of requiring the president to go before Congress and request authorization to wage war is to ensure that the American people, through their elected representatives, support the request. This safeguard forces deliberation and reflects the popular will before committing the nation to war.
Just days ago, on June 3, the House passed H.Con.Res. 86, a concurrent resolution directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran unless Congress authorizes continued action. This measure seeks to enforce congressional oversight and reclaim its constitutional role in war-making decisions. I am disappointed that Rep. Meuser voted against it.
Rep. Meuser and others who prioritize unwavering support for a president over the Constitution are inverting priorities. As a member of Congress, his oath is to the Constitution, not to any president or foreign nation. I urged him to fulfill that oath by supporting efforts to reclaim Congress’s rightful role through a War Powers Resolution – ending unauthorized military action in Iran unless and until Congress authorizes or declares war. This is not anti-Trump or pro-Iran; it is pro-Constitution and pro-Republic.
This war, which began at the behest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has not achieved its stated objectives and seems to have no end. True America First policy demands restraint, diplomacy where possible, and congressional accountability for major military commitments – not blank checks or deference to foreign leaders’ agendas.
This episode reveals a deeper issue: Some in our movement have adopted the very authoritarian tactics we once criticized on the left – demanding personal loyalty above all, punishing dissent, and smearing fellow conservatives who prioritize principles. We cannot become what we fought against. America First is not “Trump First” or “Party First.” It means evaluating every policy, every decision, and every alliance by a simple standard: Does this serve American sovereignty, security, prosperity, and liberty?
I have taken considerable heat from many for speaking out. But I do not care. I put principle over party and country over any one man. We need more Republicans to stand up and speak out when the President veers off the America First course.
The Constitution is our North Star. War powers belong to Congress for a reason. Foreign policy must serve our interests, not subordinate them to any other nation’s. And political loyalty must flow upward to the Republic, not downward to any individual.
To my fellow Republicans, including Rep. Meuser, and to those who have accused me of “Trump Derangement Syndrome”: Honest criticism from within is not betrayal. The real derangement is placing any man above the Constitution or allowing personality to eclipse principle. Let us recommit to the ideas that made America great: limited government, separation of powers, restraint abroad, and liberty at home.
America First starts with putting the Constitution first.
Marc A. Scaringi, Esq. is a practicing attorney, former Donald J. Trump-endorsed Delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention, former attorney for Donald J. Trump’s 2020 presidential reelection campaign, host of The Marc Scaringi Show, and America First conservative based in central Pennsylvania.
