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Senator Chris Van Hollen went on CNN Monday and did what Democrats do best when American force is projected overseas — he accused his own country’s leaders of war crimes. The Maryland Democrat told Kasie Hunt that President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should face international tribunals for the recent strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, specifically citing an incident where a Tomahawk missile allegedly killed over 100 Iranian schoolgirls. When did criticizing American military action become the default position for elected officials?
Van Hollen’s argument hinges on the claim that targeting civilian infrastructure violates international law. He pointed to Trump’s warning that the U.S. would destroy Iran’s power plants if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, calling it “clearly a violation of international law” that should result in accountability through international courts. The senator even suggested Trump could face legal vulnerability after leaving office, noting that “while the president is in the White House, this Supreme Court has made it much more difficult to hold the president accountable.”
The accusation exposes a glaring double standard that conservatives have watched play out for years. When Russia bombs civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, Democrats demand condemnation and sanctions. When Israel targets Hamas positions in Gaza, they call for ceasefires and investigations. But when the United States acts against a hostile regime that has spent decades funding terrorism and threatening American interests, suddenly the same standards get weaponized against our own commander-in-chief.
Lost in Van Hollen’s moral preening is any acknowledgment of context. Iran has been at war with American interests since 1979. The regime funds Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. It chants “Death to America” in its parliament. It recently launched ballistic missiles at Israel and threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global oil shipments pass. The Trump administration’s strikes targeted energy infrastructure used to fund this terror apparatus — not schools, not hospitals, not residential neighborhoods.
Secretary Hegseth’s supposed sin, according to Van Hollen, was wanting to get rid of what he called “stupid rules of engagement.” Those rules, the senator claims, exist to “uphold international law and prevent civilian harm.” But conservatives have watched those same rules of engagement get American soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, forcing troops to fight with one hand tied behind their backs while jihadists hide behind civilian populations. Maybe the rules needed re-examination.
The political calculus here is transparent. With Trump’s approval ratings holding steady and the Iran situation showing signs of de-escalation, Democrats need a new angle of attack. Accusing the president of war crimes serves two purposes — it energizes the progressive base that already views America as the world’s villain, and it lays groundwork for potential legal harassment if Trump leaves office. We’ve seen this movie before.
What Van Hollen won’t admit is that the American strikes have already achieved their primary objective. Iran’s missile attacks on Israel have stopped. The Strait of Hormuz remains open. Oil prices have dropped back below $100. Markets have rallied nearly 1,000 points. The administration combined credible military force with diplomatic outreach to create space for negotiations. That’s not a war crime — that’s effective statecraft.
The senator’s call for international tribunals is particularly rich coming from a party that spent four years ignoring actual international law violations by hostile regimes. Where was this energy when China was building concentration camps for Uighurs? When Russia was leveling Syrian cities? When Iran was executing protesters in the streets? The selective outrage reveals the game — it’s not about international law, it’s about opposing Trump by any means necessary.
Americans have a choice here. They can listen to politicians who reflexively condemn American strength while giving hostile regimes the benefit of the doubt. Or they can recognize that projecting power against enemies who have sworn our destruction isn’t a crime — it’s the president’s constitutional duty. Van Hollen made his choice clear Monday. The rest of the country should make theirs equally clear at the ballot box.
Providence watches over the bold.
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