Presidents Going to War

Michael Beschloss, presidential historian and author of Presidents of War (Crown, 2018) talks about his new book that looks closely at how U.S. presidents have made the decision to engage in armed conflict throughout history.

.@BeschlossDC reminds how rare it is for an American president to ask Congress for permission to declare war, even though that power of Congress is constitutional:

"When was the last time Congress declared war? It was 1942, if you can believe it." pic.twitter.com/phyMGb1J8S

— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) October 9, 2018