WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s national address on his war of choice against Iran.
“President Trump missed a critically important opportunity last night to provide a clear, coherent strategy to the American people for his war of choice against Iran and to correct course. While Trump said there has been tactical progress on significantly weakening Iran’s military, he provided no evidence to show those tactical gains will have an enduring impact on the regime or alter its malign activities. Over a month into his war, Trump has failed to provide any sense of how these tactical achievements will lead to achieving his strategic goals or what negotiating an end to his war would look like. History has shown tactical objectives are important, but they alone cannot win a war.
“He also made it very clear that he doesn’t care about the costs of this war, has no plans to deal with it, and is content to make the regional and global economic situation even worse. He failed to acknowledge the devastating toll his war is taking, even as he callously bragged about the deadly destruction. Instead, he lashed out again at friends and allies and doubled down on his threat to let Iran continue to control the Strait of Hormuz, leaving our partners to clean up the mess he created.
“If it was still somehow unclear to my Republican colleagues that the president lacks the character and will to recognize a cataclysmic error and the capacity to take action to fix that error, it is my sincere hope that last night serves as a wake-up call. All of us in Congress must put pressure on the president to negotiate a ceasefire as soon as possible and negotiate the best possible deal to end this war.”
“President Trump missed a critically important opportunity last night to provide a clear, coherent strategy to the American people for his war of choice against Iran and to correct course. While Trump said there has been tactical progress on significantly weakening Iran’s military, he provided no evidence to show those tactical gains will have an enduring impact on the regime or alter its malign activities. Over a month into his war, Trump has failed to provide any sense of how these tactical achievements will lead to achieving his strategic goals or what negotiating an end to his war would look like. History has shown tactical objectives are important, but they alone cannot win a war.
“He also made it very clear that he doesn’t care about the costs of this war, has no plans to deal with it, and is content to make the regional and global economic situation even worse. He failed to acknowledge the devastating toll his war is taking, even as he callously bragged about the deadly destruction. Instead, he lashed out again at friends and allies and doubled down on his threat to let Iran continue to control the Strait of Hormuz, leaving our partners to clean up the mess he created.
“If it was still somehow unclear to my Republican colleagues that the president lacks the character and will to recognize a cataclysmic error and the capacity to take action to fix that error, it is my sincere hope that last night serves as a wake-up call. All of us in Congress must put pressure on the president to negotiate a ceasefire as soon as possible and negotiate the best possible deal to end this war.”
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