During Saturday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Smerconish,” New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman expressed his concerns about a successful military campaign against Iran by the U.S. and Israeli governments.
According to Friedman, a victory would confer political benefits on President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The problem is, I really don’t want to see Bibi Netanyahu or Donald Trump politically strengthened by this war, because they are two awful human beings,” Friedman declared. “They are terrible, terrible people doing terrible things to America, standing in the world, and Israel standing in the world. And so I really find myself torn. I want to see Iran militarily defeated, but I do not want to see these two terrible people strengthened.”
Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) reacted to Friedman’s comments on Monday’s “The Ingraham Angle” on Fox News, warning they were “demoralizing” for U.S. troops.
“OK, he’s torn, Congressman,” host Laura Ingraham said. “So, dump the mullahs who are — take — take glee in torturing and executing dissidents, or a duly elected President of the United States, in his best judgment, that’s a hard call for Tom Friedman.”
Banks replied, “Well, there is nothing more demoralizing, by the way, to our troops who are in the fight, who are fighting in a war to keep America safe and secure, than to watch the Democrats and the media cheer against the commander-in-chief and the very efforts that they’re a part of. I mean, it’s shameful that they would — that they would cheer against our troops in that kind of a way. So, shame — shame on the Democrats for that and the media for joining them.”
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