Democratic presidential candidates warned that killing Qassem Soleimani could lead to all-out war in Iran.
The candidates, jostling to face Trump in the 2020 general election, lamented that Trump did not consult Congress and argued that Trump has no long-term strategy in the region.
“Trump’s dangerous escalation brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East that could cost countless lives and trillions more dollars,” Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said in a statement Friday. “Trump promised to end endless wars, but this action puts us on the path to another one.”
Sanders noted that in October 2002, he voted against war in Iraq, fearing destabilization in the region. “Today, 17 years later, that fear has unfortunately turned out to be true,” he said.
[Click here for more Soleimani coverage]
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said: “Soleimani was a murderer, responsible for the deaths of thousands, including hundreds of Americans. But this reckless move escalates the situation with Iran and increases the likelihood of more deaths and new Middle East conflict,” she said in a tweet Thursday. “Our priority must be to avoid another costly war.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden said that Soleimani “deserved to be brought to justice for his crimes against American troops and thousands of innocents throughout the region,” having “supported terror and sowed chaos.” But he warned that Iran would respond to the attack and worried that the Trump administration had not thought out a long-term vision for the region.
“The Administration’s statement says that its goal is to deter future attacks by Iran, but this action almost certainly will have the opposite effect,” Biden said in a statement Thursday. “President Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox, and he owes the American people an explanation of the strategy and plan to keep safe our troops and embassy personnel, our people and our interests, both here at home and abroad, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.”
“We could be on the brink of a major conflict across the Middle East,” Biden added.
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker alluded to the strike being carried out without congressional approval.
“We still have a lot of questions that need to be answered with this use of military force,” Booker said in a CNN interview Thursday. “I have a lot of concerns right now, as this is unfolding, about that standard of the use of military force, and I have a lot of concerns about a president who’s already shown to have no strategy for the larger challenges we have in the Middle East, especially around Iran.”
“I would repeal the [Authorization for Use of Military Force] and restore the historical balance between Congress and the Executive branch concerning military action,” Yang said in a tweet Friday. “We need better decision making in the White House that does not escalate violence but instead invests in diplomacy to achieve our national interests.”
“The Administration needs to fully consult with Congress on its decision-making, response plans, and strategy for preventing a wider conflict,” Klobuchar said in a statement Friday.
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard had the sharpest condemnation of Trump’s move.
“This was very clearly an act of war by this president without any kind of authorization or declaration of war from Congress, clearly violating the Constitution,” Gabbard said on Fox News Friday. “It further escalates this tit-for-tat that’s going on and on and on, and will elicit a very serious response from Iran and pushing us deeper and deeper into this quagmire.”
