Senate Republicans piled on the pressure for President Joe Biden’s climate czar John Kerry to resign on Tuesday after a report revealed the former secretary of state talked to Iranian officials about military actions of the United States’s ally Israel.
The New York Times reported Sunday that the London-based news channel Iran International had privately recorded conversations between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and an economist. “Former Secretary of State John Kerry informed him that Israel had attacked Iranian interests in Syria at least 200 times, to his astonishment, Mr. Zarif said,” according to the New York Times.
Kerry disputed that he ever had these conversations with Zarif discussing the Israeli strikes in Syria. Nevertheless, Kerry’s denials did not stop the barrage of calls for his resignation from Republicans to roll in.
JOHN KERRY DENIES TIPPING OFF IRAN TO ISRAELI MILITARY OPERATIONS IN SYRIA
Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, scolded Kerry, telling the Washington Examiner, “He should have never been appointed in the first place. He’s been a disaster in this role, and I think what we found out, what he did as secretary of state, is absolutely wrong, and he should resign.”
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a member of Senate Republican leadership, confirmed to the Washington Examiner that he thinks Kerry should resign. Kerry was “trying to undermine the Trump administration on the JCPOA,” Cornyn said.
Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the report a “pretty serious charge.”
“I’d call for his resignation. I would have done that. Regardless, I don’t think he’s good at the job. I think it’s a serious charge, but I also had opposed almost everything that he’s been involved in,” Inhofe said.
Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, agreed with Inhofe, telling the Washington Examiner, “I want to know the facts behind all of that, and if it actually happened, yes, he should resign.”
The four lawmakers are part of a growing group of GOP members who want the resignation of Kerry, who was secretary of state for President Barack Obama from 2013 until 2017, a Massachusetts senator for 28 years before that, and the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee.
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Republican Sens. Dan Sullivan of Alaska and Ted Cruz of Texas stated that if the tapes are verified, then Biden should step down from his post. Other Republicans, including Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, would rather hold a hearing about the matter and call Kerry to Capitol Hill to testify. As a member of the minority party in the Senate, Kennedy can’t call a hearing.
“If true, it is despicable. I think we should have a hearing. I doubt my Democratic colleagues will call a hearing,” Kennedy said. “So my plan B preference would be to have a classified briefing, and let’s find out what happened.”
