(CNN) Democrats don't really have much ground to stand on when they criticize President Trump for flexing too much muscle on national security. The Democrats, along with their opponents, have been part of the bipartisan push for expanding executive power since World War II. Several Democrats have insisted that if the president doesn't seek permission, then he is exceeding his constitutional power. But he also said that "military force against Assad can only continue in the long term with congressional approval." Starting with President Harry Truman's actions in Korea, commanders in chief have deployed troops overseas without requesting a formal declaration of war from Congress, as FDR had done in 1941.

Source: CNN April 16, 2017 17:48 UTC