Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell says he's fully supportive of President Donald Trump's military actions in Iran, even as the president faces deep criticism for recent comments about the war.
McConnell told reporters in Northern Kentucky Tuesday he believes regime change in the Middle Eastern nation is essential. The U.S. began air and rocket strikes against Iran Feb. 28.
"I support what the president is trying to do, and let me tell you why," McConnell said. "They've been at war with us for 47 years. They've killed Americans, they've killed Israelis, they've killed throughout the region, our Sunni Muslim allies... they are bad guys."
In response to the strikes by the U.S., Iran has partially closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route in the region. That's put a crimp in oil supplies, spiking gas prices in the U.S. to roughly $4 a gallon.
In recent days, Trump has sought to cajole Iran into a ceasefire deal that will open the strait with saber-rattling posts on his Truth Social site. One he posted Easter Sunday elicited condemnation from many Democrats, some faith leaders and even some of the president's former allies for its use of expletives and implications the U.S. would bomb power and water infrastructure. Critics say those actions would constitute war crimes.
Trump doubled down Tuesday, posting that "a whole civilization will die tonight" if Iran didn't capitulate by an 8 p.m. ET deadline.
'They have to start all over'
McConnell hasn't always agreed with the president. He sharply rebuked Trump's tariffs and the impact they've had on Kentucky's economy last year, for example.
McConnell didn't address Trump's statements directly during his Tuesday remarks. But he did push back against those who have expressed consternation at the lack of a clear endgame in Iran.
"The critics will say, 'Well, what happens next?' Well, I'll tell you," he said. "No matter how this ends, they've been significantly diminished... their ability to hurt others. So even if the next regime is significantly like the last one, they have to start all over and rebuild the threat."
Sen. Rand Paul, McConnell's Kentucky colleague, has struck a decidedly different tone than the senior senator when it comes to the war. He's questioned the constitutionality of the military action Trump has taken, pointing out it wasn't authorized by Congress. He's also expressed deep concern for the amount of money it is costing and the impact it is having on the U.S. economy.
“The war has been devastating on our economy, on the price of gasoline,” Paul said at a March 23 event in Shelbyville. “People are feeling that pinch, and I think the president actually agrees that the war should be over sooner rather than later.”
McConnell was at the event at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to discuss $18 million in federal funding for regional projects, including a $4.4 million appropriation for Covington's IRS site and money to fund runway repairs at CVG.
McConnell, nearing the end of a 42-year career, boasted he's secured $65 billion for Kentucky in appropriations during his time in Congress.
"My attitude about this has remained the same, no matter who is in the White House," he said. "My job was to help our medium-sized state punch above its weight to be able to compete against California, New York and other big states and to designate where that money should go."
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