President Trump on Friday tweeted his first remarks since the U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, one of that country’s most powerful military and political figures.
General Qassem Soleimani has killed or badly wounded thousands of Americans over an extended period of time, and was plotting to kill many more…but got caught! He was directly and indirectly responsible for the death of millions of people, including the recent large number….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2020
….of PROTESTERS killed in Iran itself. While Iran will never be able to properly admit it, Soleimani was both hated and feared within the country. They are not nearly as saddened as the leaders will let the outside world believe. He should have been taken out many years ago!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2020
President Donald Trump on Friday mounted a forceful defense of the killing of Qassem Soleimani by American forces, declaring an end to the Iranian general’s “reign of terror” while pushing back on concerns about his administration’s end goal.
In his first formal response to Thursday night’s attack, the president asserted that the strike on Soleimani should have taken place “long ago.” But he sought to ease fears that he had just dragged the U.S. into another messy military conflict even as he declined to lay out immediate next steps.
“We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war,” he told reporters in an impromptu address at his Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida.
Addressing the media, Trump was stern and solemn.
“Under my leadership, America’s policy is unambiguous to terrorists who harm or intend to harm any American. We will find you. We will eliminate you,” he said, estimating that “hundreds” of American civilians and servicemembers were victims to Soleimani’s “ruthless” rule.
A statement from President Trump:
A statement from President @realDonaldTrump: pic.twitter.com/Jfy4GCLdif
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2020
