Donald Trump Goes Full Mad King

Why his latest threats against Iran are different.

Credit: “Game of Thrones” (2011), HBO

In the past 24 hours, Donald Trump’s rhetoric on Iran has crossed a line. This morning, he wrote, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” Yesterday, he said, “The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night.” When asked if he is concerned whether his threats to bomb power plants and bridges amount to war crimes, he answered, simply, “No, not at all.”

Previous presidents have been accused of violating the Geneva Conventions, the series of treaties that form the basis of international humanitarian law. Barack Obama was criticized for his use of drones during his presidency. George W. Bush faced condemnation when his administration used torture as an interrogation technique. In fact, most presidents since Harry Truman have faced controversies regarding war crimes.

But there is something different about Trump, who seemingly revels in his utter disdain for the rules of war. He threatened to bomb Iran “back to the stone ages” in a primetime address from the White House. His Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, dismissed the “rules of engagement” as “stupid.” Over 100 international law experts signed a letter saying that the U.S.’s strikes on Iran since February 28 violate the United Nations Charter. Moreover, they assert that the conduct of U.S. forces since the initial strikes, as well as statements by senior government officials, may constitute war crimes. Based on Trump’s own comments, he won’t let any of that stop him from doing whatever he likes in this war.

Trump bypassed Congress in initiating this war in the first place, potentially in violation of the Constitution, which states that “The Congress shall have Power … To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water.” In addition, the war in Iran also clearly violates the UN Charter prohibition on the use of force. We’re not lawyers, but this is not just a legal question—it’s a moral one:

• According to the Iranian Red Crescent, 67,414 civilian sites have been struck, of which 498 are schools and 236 health facilities.

• Between February 28 and March 30, 2026, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, at least 2,100 Iranian civilians have been killed by U.S. and Israeli forces, including 216 children.

• Trump’s threats to “obliterate” Iran’s energy infrastructure, if carried out, would plainly violate the Geneva Convention. Mirjana Spoljaric, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said, “War on essential infrastructure is war on civilians.”

Meanwhile, on the home front, Trump is reeling as a frenetic Wall Street and rapidly rising gas prices undermine his assurances that the American economy is on rock-solid footing. He’s asking Congress for more money to wage a war that his supporters did not want, potentially offsetting any cash boosts that (he claims) voters would receive from last summer’s One Big Beautiful Bill tax cuts. And he’s grasping for a way to salvage the situation.

But now, at the speed he can type and post to Truth Social, Trump is plunging our country into exactly the kind of Middle East conflict he condemned on the campaign trail.

Tonight, at 8 pm EST, Trump must put his cards on the table. Will he follow through on his threats, and order the U.S. armed forces to violate the Geneva Conventions? Will he back down, claim that diplomacy is working, and push the deadline another two-to-three weeks? Will he declare complete and total victory?

Or will he take one more massive step in undermining principled American leadership in the world?

Home of the Brave exists to show Americans the real-world consequences of this administration’s policies, and to highlight what bravery looks like in defense of American democracy.