Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., asked whether President Trump was “mentally incapacitated” to realize that he laid the groundwork for the development of Iran’s nuclear program during his first term.
“Has President Trump learned nothing from decades of U.S. intervention in Iran and the forever wars in the Middle East?” Kaine asked. “Was he so mentally incapacitated that he didn’t realize we had a diplomatic agreement with Iran that limited its nuclear program until he tore up that agreement during his first term?”
Trump in 2018 withdrew the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), originally signed in 2015, which effectively blocked Iran’s path to building a bomb.
On Saturday’s attack on Iran, the president said the move was necessary to “defend the American people by neutralizing the imminent threat posed by the Iranian regime.”
The argument came after the U.S. military launched an attack on Iran last June, with Trump claiming at the time that the U.S. had “destroyed” Iran’s nuclear program.
The claim has generated considerable pushback, with skeptics arguing that Iran is not on the verge of developing weapons, and more intelligence suggesting that the attack hit other Iranian facilities and delayed Iran’s nuclear development by only a few months.
“For months, I have been complaining about the fact that Americans want lower prices, not more wars, especially wars that are not authorized by Congress, do not follow what the Constitution requires, and have no clear objectives,” Kaine continued Saturday.
He added: “These strikes are a huge mistake and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters their uniforms and the lives of our embassies across the region.”
Some Democrats came out against the attack, accusing the administration of fueling tensions in the region and warning the White House could drag the United States into a broader war. Many lawmakers also called for more transparency and increased pressure for a vote on a war powers resolution after the attacks.
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