The growing tensions with Iran show President Donald Trump's sanctions are working and have forced the Middle East nation to confront the nuclear weapons program they are trying to develop, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., said Monday.
"The president is preparing to make sure that America's properly defended," Rep. Scalise told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo on "Mornings with Maria." "Hopefully it doesn't come to any kind of conflict."
Iran recognizes if it attacks the United States or its interests there will be "severe consequences," Scalise said.
"If Iran thinks they can attack us with some mild response, I think they are seeing right now it would be a very bad mistake," he added.
Scalies also commented on the trade tensions with China, rejecting the idea that talks have now collapsed.
"We've run into a disagreement on how to properly enforce trade laws," he said. "China is not used to complying with trade laws with anybody. They cheat, they dump, steal property, and now we've got an agreement that President Trump and Amb. [Robert] Lighthizer are trying to get negotiated."
He said he hopes China will see it needs the U.S. economy more than the United States needs China's, and he is glad Trump made his stand.
"Our allies individually, even collectively, have been wanting to go take on China, to get China to play by rules that everybody else pays by," Scalise said. "They all know the only way it can happen is if America takes the lead . . . it has got to be resolved in a way fair for America, and it will benefit all our friends around the world."
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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