President Donald Trump's tough talk to Iran is not warmongering, but a return to the United States acting from a position of strength, Rep. Adam Kinzinger said Tuesday.
"This is what American presidents used to do talk tough, before President (Barack) Obama," the Illinois Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "They used to talk about American strength and the desire for peace over war, but war if necessary. We are returning to that American tradition of strength."
That may make people uncomfortable, he acknowledged, but he thinks Trump and his administration have done a good of tamping down fears while making a strong message.
Kinzinger said he also thinks Trump was "100% right" about pulling out of the Iran deal, as it was "flawed," and now, as a result, a lot of funding for terrorist groups is drying up.
"How do we engage the Iranians in getting a deal that not just covers the nuclear program, but their bad behavior in the region?" said Kinzinger. "The question of the use of military force, the president has the leverage to do it if he feels necessary, but it is Iran that has been trying to provoke the US for more than 20 years."
Iran's actions have been "ominous," as it has been able to finance separatist groups in Iraq and Yemen, said Kinzinger, but if there is a military-to-military contest between the United States and Iran "it would be a one-sided conflict. They would be pretty much toast in a quick amount of time, and they know that."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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