Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) says President Donald Trump is right to put boots on the ground in Iran.
“[Trump’s] got 5,000 Marines coming in,” Lankford said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “He has the folks from the 82nd Airborne. He is creating contingencies to put pressure on Iran to be able to finish the [peace] negotiation[s], to say, ‘We are capable of doing more, and doing what the United States military alone in the world can actually do.’”
Telling Welker that he doesn’t “fault the president for being able to put additional pressure on Iran,” he proclaimed, “No one wants a war, and you certainly don’t want a battle against the United States of America, the strongest, most moral fighting force in the world.”
“So I think the president’s right to be able to put troops in the area and to be able to ratchet up the pressure on Iran to make a deal,” Lankford added.
Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon is seeking to send 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East as Trump’s Operation Epic Fury continues against Iran.
The outlet said the massive trove of troops, which could give Trump more military options as he mulls peace talks with Tehran, would be in addition to the 1,500 troops being mobilized from the 82nd Airborne Division.
After Welker brought up WSJ’s report, the NBC host directly asked Lankford if he would “support the president putting U.S. boots on the ground in Iran.”
Iran is “going to continue to be able to come after us until we make them stop,” the senator responded. “The focus here is to be able to stop them from attacking us, and to make sure it does not restart again.”
When Welker then bluntly asked if he believes Trump would need congressional approval to put U.S. boots on the ground in Iran, Lankford dodged the question.
“If we have a longstanding war that’s happening, go back again to what happened in Iraq or in Afghanistan ― yes,” he said. “If this is to protect Americans and to be able to make sure that we’re in there for a season, and we’re stopping and getting out, that’s very, very different. … This is all contingent.”
Watch Lankford’s appearance on “Meet the Press” below.
