Check Your Own House

To the editor:

Wow, TDS is strong in this one. From his glaring disrespect for President Trump and those who voted for him, to his complete ignorance of what has actually happened in the past, Mr. Dykes is now the new poster child for TDS.

I’m a strong conservative Republican woman, a strong Christian, a huge fan of President Trump, I love America, and I’m a strong believer in the Constitution. What I am not is an uneducated, hate filled, Democrat who thinks, men can be women, who care more about illegal aliens than American citizens, who supports a Democratic Party that has done absolutely nothing for this country in years, and who voted for a braindead, basement dwelling, Democrat for president who did nothing for this country his entire political career. I am not fake anything you pompous twit.

As is usual with Democrats, Mr. Dykes accusations aren’t the complete truth. He is correct that only Congress has the power to declare war. Problem is, it’s not the only way to assist other countries.

Many U.S. presidents have engaged in undeclared military actions, police actions, or “not wars” without a formal congressional declaration of war. Key examples include Harry Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.

Congress has not officially declared war since World War II, meaning modern military conflicts are typically fought under narrower authorizations, executive orders, or international mandates.

Major Unapproved Military Operations: Korean War (1950): President Harry Truman sent troops into combat without a declaration, calling it a United Nations “police action”. Vietnam War Expansion (1969–1970): President Richard Nixon ordered secret, unannounced U.S. bombing campaigns inside neutral Cambodia and Laos. Invasion of Grenada (1983): President Ronald Reagan ordered Operation Urgent Fury to depose the island’s government without congressional authorization. NATO Bombing in Yugoslavia (1999): President Bill Clinton committed U.S. aircraft to a prolonged NATO bombing campaign in Kosovo and Serbia without congressional consent. Intervention in Libya (2011): President Barack Obama directed military airstrikes and missile attacks supporting rebel forces to oust Muammar Gaddafi without prior legislative approval.

President Trump didn’t do anything a number of former Presidents, both Republican and Democrat, hadn’t already done. He acted unilaterally under his constitutional powers as Commander in Chief by using Article II which relies on inherent executive authority to protect U.S. forces and national security interests and cited the reporting mechanisms of the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Constitutional and Legal Basis: Framed the operations as direct military actions rather than a formal war requiring congressional pre-approval. Notification: Handled statutory compliance by notifying top congressional leaders shortly before actions and submitting formal notifications under the War Powers Resolution.

As to Birthright Citizenship: I don’t believe the authors of the 14th Amendment meant it to apply to anyone who decided to illegally invade America. But here we are. I also don’t believe this issue is done being litigated. Time will tell.

Let’s look at the national debt totals by administration: Bill Clinton (1993–2001): Ended at approximately $5.8 trillion (grew by about $1.4 trillion); George W. Bush (2001–2009): Ended at approximately $11.9 trillion (grew by about $6.1 trillion); Barack Obama (2009–2017): Ended at approximately $20.2 trillion (grew by about $9.3 trillion across two terms); Donald Trump (2017–2021, First Term): Ended at approximately $27.8 trillion (grew by about $7.8 trillion) Joe Biden (2021–2025): Ended at approximately $36 trillion (grew by about $8.4 trillion). I’m not arguing the fact that our national debt is high; I’m pointing out as a typical Democrat, Mr. Dykes left out key facts.

And then there are the Democrats who have been thrown out of Congress: Eric Swalwell (D-CA): Resigned from the House in April 2026 amid mounting pressure and allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment, which he denied. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL): Resigned from the House in April 2026 just before an ethics vote on potential expulsion regarding allegations that she misused millions in disaster relief funds. John Conyers Jr. (DMI): Resigned from the House in December 2017 following multiple public accusations of sexual harassment and the use of taxpayer funds for settlements. Ruben Kihuen (DNV): Decided not to seek reelection and finished his term under pressure after facing allegations of sexual harassment from former campaign staff. Al Franken (D-MN): Resigned from the U.S. Senate in January 2018 following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate touching.

Let’s not forget President Clinton who was impeached by the House of Representatives for perjury and obstruction of justice regarding an affair with a White House intern. He was also criticized for controversial fundraising practices and foreign donations during his re-election campaign.

Finally, Democrats nominated a man who was well into senility, as recently reported, for President, along with Kamala Harris as Vice President. The woman could barely walk and chew gum at the same time. But all you Democrats voted for them.

So Mr. Dykes, I’d suggest you check your own house before you criticize anyone else’s. Your party consists of avowed socialists, more likely communists, and is a dumpster fire. I’ll take President Trump and Ken Paxton over any America-hating Democrat any time.