Rand Paul warns Trump Iran strikes may backfire amid ongoing protests
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Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) spoke out Sunday against President Donald Trump’s threats to bomb Iran, warning that such an attack could backfire at a time when the U.S. government is monitoring the Middle Eastern country’s response to widespread protests.
Appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” Paul said he wasn’t sure attacking Iran “will have the intended effect.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard a president say he might take military action to protect protesters,” Paul said. “Of course, with Soleimani, there were huge protests against America when the Trump administration hit him. But they are shouting ‘Death to the Ayatollah’.”
“We wish them the best,” he added. “We wish the best for freedom and liberation around the world, but I don’t think it’s the American government’s job to be involved in every freedom movement in the world.”
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Senator Rand Paul spoke out against President Donald Trump’s threats to bomb Iran, warning that such an attack may not have the intended effect. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Paul also highlighted concerns about how the Trump administration would separate Iranian protesters from law enforcement if the president resorted to military intervention.
“How do you drop a bomb in the middle of a crowd or a protest and protect the people there?” Paul asked.
The Republican lawmaker also warned that attacking Iran could inadvertently rally protesters behind the Ayatollah.
“If you bomb the government, do you rally people who are angry at the Ayatollah to their own flag and say, ‘Wow, we can’t let a foreign government invade or bomb our country,'” Paul said. he said.
“It tends to get people to join the cause,” he continued. “So I think the protests are rightfully directed against the Ayatollah.”
Paul added: “The best way is to encourage them and say that of course we will recognize a freedom-loving government that allows free elections, but bombing is not the answer.”
The pro-liberty senator also confirmed that presidents cannot attack other countries without approval from Congress.
Senator Rand Paul emphasized that presidents cannot attack other countries without the approval of Congress. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
“There is a paradox in the Constitution that we cannot allow presidents to bomb countries whenever they want,” Paul emphasized. “They need to ask the public for permission through Congress.”
Protests have broken out in Iran in recent weeks over the country’s economic freefall, and as the demonstrations continue many people have begun to demand all-out regime change.
According to reports, thousands of people were arrested. Agencies were unable to confirm the total death toll due to an internet outage as the country’s leaders tried to suppress dissent, but the Associated Press reported that more than 500 people were killed.
Trump warned Iranian leaders on Friday that “they better not start shooting, because we’re going to start shooting too.”
“Iran is looking at FREEDOM perhaps like never before. USA is ready to help!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday.
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President Donald Trump warned Iranian leaders that “they better not start shooting, because we’re going to start shooting, too.” (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Paul has opposed Trump on several occasions in recent months when it comes to military strikes, including against Iran and Venezuela.
Last week, he helped introduce a resolution to the Senate that would limit Trump’s ability to launch further attacks against Venezuela, following the U.S. military’s latest move to strike the country and capture its president, Nicolás Maduro, which the Kentucky Republican said amounted to war.
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“I think bombing the capitol and removing the president is, by all definitions, war,” Paul told reporters before last week’s vote. “Does this mean that we have full authority that the president can make the decision at any time, anywhere, to invade a foreign country and eliminate those we accuse of crimes?”
Paul also criticized the administration’s military strikes on boats near Venezuela; the administration accuses them of transporting narco-terrorists without any evidence, raising concerns about the possibility of killing people without due process and killing innocent people. The senator had previously cited Coast Guard statistics showing that a significant percentage of boats embarked on suspicion of drug smuggling are innocent.
