Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky blasted a military briefing given after more than a dozen ballistic missiles hit an Iraq-U.S. coalition military base in western Iraq.
“I had hoped and expected to receive more information outlining the legal, factual, and moral justification for the attack,” Lee said. “The briefing lasted only 75 minutes, whereupon our briefers left. This, however, is not the biggest problem I have with the briefing, which I would add was probably the worst briefing I’ve seen, at least on a military issue, in the nine years I’ve served in the United States Senate.”
The two libertarian-leaning Republicans are known for their anti-interventionist foreign policy views, but both have been key allies of the president.
Paul, 57, said the briefing was “less than satisfying” and “insulting.”
President Trump blamed the Obama administration for funding Iran during a short press conference Wednesday morning.
“What I found so distressing about that briefing was that one of the messages that we received from the briefers was: Do not debate, do not discuss the issue of appropriateness of further military intervention against Iran,” Lee added. “And that if you do, you’ll be emboldening Iran.”
