MAGA Rep. Jim Jordan faced an interrogation on CNN over his support for President Donald Trump’s war on Iran from host Kasie Hunt on Thursday night.
“Would you say to your constituents in Ohio that this is worth sending their sons and daughters to the Middle East potentially to put their lives on the line, to achieve what you just laid out?” Hunt asked Jordan during his appearance on her program, The Arena with Kasie Hunt.
After a pause, Jordan replied with standard White House-approved talking points, asking Hunt, “Do we want this regime and all they have done—the killing of American servicemen over the last 47 years, the killing of Israelis, the killing of others, the taking of thousands of lives of their own—do we want them to have a nuclear weapon?
“I mean, I think Americans say that is something we need to stop,“ he added.
Almost two weeks into Trump’s war with the Middle Eastern nation, voter support for his actions is hovering around the 42% mark, with 40% opposed. In addition, 52% of voters believe that the president launched the strikes to distract from his relationship with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Ignoring Hunt’s follow-up question about how far he would go to achieve his objectives, Jordan continued to parrot the White House, firing back with, “President Trump makes decisions that are in the best interest of our country. President Trump does what he said he would do.”
He continued to rattle off a list of what he considered to be the president’s accomplishments, telling Hunt, “He told the American people he would secure the border. He did. He told them he’d he cut taxes. He did. He told the American people he‘d make sure this regime didn‘t get nuclear capability. And he‘s making sure that is going to happen, that they do not get that capability in any way, shape or form, because that would be, as Senator Graham said, I think would be devastating for the price of oil and for all kinds of other reasons. That would be a bad outcome.”
Hunt, however, had a trick up her sleeve, presenting Jordan with a montage of video evidence showing Trump criticizing war while on the campaign trail.
“‘I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars,’” Hunt quoted Trump as saying, asking Jordan, “How is that an example of President Trump doing what he said he was going to do?”
“Kasie, he tried to,” Jordan fired back. “They tried to negotiate with Iran, with the largest state sponsor of terrorism. They were willing to sit down with and try to figure this out, try to negotiate. And they could tell from those negotiations that Iran was committed to pursuing and getting a nuclear weapon. And they said there is no other alternative.”
The Daily Beast has contacted Jordan’s office for comment.
The president began his war on Iran with strikes conducted in conjunction with Israel on Feb. 28 that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The strikes took place after weeks of growing tensions amid failing nuclear talks, and the president has offered up several different justifications, including regime change, destroying Iran’s nuclear program, or preemptively striking Iran before it could strike the U.S.
An estimated 1348 Iranians have died so far, including a school full of children. At least seven U.S. service members have been killed in retaliatory strikes, with several more feared dead after a refueling aircraft crashed on Thursday. Approximately 140 U.S. service members have been injured since the strikes began less than two weeks ago.
