Rep. Justin Amish (I-MI-03) said President Donald Trump’s claim that Iranian general Qasem Soleimani was planning “imminent” attacks on American assets “seems totally made up.”
President Trump told Fox News last week that the “imminent” threat posed by Soleimani involved planned attacks on four U.S. embassies, likely the “embassy in Baghdad.”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Sunday that “he shared” the president’s view that American embassies were a likely target, but said he “didn’t see” specific evidence to support the claim.
“What I’m saying is that I shared the president’s view that probably, my expectation was they were going to go after our embassies,” said Esper.
Rep. Amash used Esper’s interview to claim that President Trump’s comments seem “totally made up.”
“The administration didn’t present evidence to Congress regarding even one embassy,” Amash said on Twitter Sunday. “The four embassies claim seems to be totally made up. And they have never presented evidence of imminence—a necessary condition to act without congressional approval—with respect to any of this.”
The administration didn’t present evidence to Congress regarding even one embassy. The four embassies claim seems to be totally made up. And they have never presented evidence of imminence—a necessary condition to act without congressional approval—with respect to any of this. https://t.co/Eg0vaCnqFd
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 12, 2020
He then accused the president of “expanding” wars, not ending them, in a Monday tweet.
“More American troops are now in the Middle East than at the end of President Obama’s term. The rate of drone strikes is up, too,” said Amash. “President Trump is not ending wars; he’s expanding them. He’s not bringing troops home; he’s sending them there.”
More American troops are now in the Middle East than at the end of President Obama’s term. The rate of drone strikes is up, too.
President Trump is not ending wars; he’s expanding them. He’s not bringing troops home; he’s sending them there.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 13, 2020
“When President Trump lies or embellishes on a topic this sensitive, and administration officials then parrot his claims to avoid drawing his ire, the situation becomes extremely dangerous for our troops and the American people,” Amash added.
When President Trump lies or embellishes on a topic this sensitive, and administration officials then parrot his claims to avoid drawing his ire, the situation becomes extremely dangerous for our troops and the American people. https://t.co/Dywr56LsDg
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 10, 2020
President Trump responded to the criticism in a Monday tweet, saying “it doesn’t really matter” if Soleimani was planning an imminent attack “because of his horrible past.”
“The Democrats and the Fake News are trying to make terrorist Soleimani into a wonderful guy, only because I did what should have been done 20 years ago,” Trump continued. “Anything I do, whether it’s the economy, military, or anything else, will be scorned by the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats.”
The Democrats and the Fake News are trying to make terrorist Soleimani into a wonderful guy, only because I did what should have been done for 20 years. Anything I do, whether it’s the economy, military, or anything else, will be scorned by the Rafical Left, Do Nothing Democrats!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2020
Amash defected from the Republican Party last year and voted in favor of the articles of impeachment brought against President Trump.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
