Sources confirm the White House has suffered a stinging defeat. Congress, in a rare bipartisan move, passed a measure clawing back war powers from the executive. The bill, which sailed through both chambers, mandates congressional approval for any sustained military action beyond 30 days.
It’s a direct rebuke to a president who has treated the military as a personal plaything. The vote was 78-18 in the Senate, 312-112 in the House. No veto-proof majority, but the political message is clear: Trump’s gambit to keep America in endless conflicts is over.
The fallout extends far beyond Washington. Downing Street has been watching. Documents obtained by this paper show British diplomats had already begun drafting contingency plans for a post-Trump special relationship.
The recalibration is real. A senior Foreign Office source put it bluntly: ‘We can no longer rely on the US as a stable partner. This vote proves it.
’ The special relationship, once a given, is now a bargaining chip. The Prime Minister is expected to announce a review of intelligence-sharing protocols next week. The money trail is worth following.
Lockheed Martin and Raytheon shares dipped 3% on the news. The defence lobby spent $80 million last year trying to prevent exactly this sort of measure. Their failure signals a shift in the balance of power.
Unaccountable power, as I’ve written before, is the cancer eating at democracy. This vote is a small excision. But the scar will remain.
