In August 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson asked Congress to back his effort to widen the U.S. role in Vietnam. He received it with enactment of the T onkin Gulf Resolution, which passed both chambers of Congress, including the Senate, with only two dissenting votes.

Trump and his team were in contact with top congressional Republicans before the strikes, but some top Democrats were not told of his plans until after the bombs had dropped.

Trump hopes to emerge as a bold commander who achieved a goal long sought by the United States -- destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities without being drawn into a lasting conflict. Middle East history shows the difficulty of achieving that goal.