Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier (CA) claimed on CNN on Friday that President Trump misled the American people about the U.S. airstrike against Iranian terror leader Qasem Soleimani. Having been one of the lawmakers who participated in the intelligence briefing on Iran this week, Speier claims that Trump "misrepresented" the information.
Trump has also insisted that Soleimani was planning another imminent attack on Americans, hence why he had to be taken out immediately. CNN aired an earlier segment about how Trump claimed at his rally Thursday night that Soleimani was specifically plotting an attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. CNN added, in its chyron, that Trump said this "without proof."
Speier also questioned Trump and his defense officials.
"The argument that was raised that somehow he had to be killed then and there because there was an imminent attack pending was not supported by the intelligence. And that's why you saw so much frustration by both Republicans and Democrats as they left that briefing," she said.
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Sens. Mike Lee (UT) and Rand Paul (KY) were two of those frustrated Republicans. The conservatives emerged from the briefing frustrated and said in an impromptu presser that it was the "worst briefing" they'd ever received.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) calls Iran briefing "probably the worst briefing I've seen, at least on a military issue"pic.twitter.com/Gg5AZTLfmJ
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 8, 2020
Yet, other Republicans heard differently. That meeting more or less "confirmed" for lawmakers like Rep. Mike Gallagher (WI) that Soleimani was "actively plotting attacks against the U.S."
Still, the House voted in favor of Rep. Elissa Slotkin's (D-MI) War Powers Resolution on Thursday that limits Trump's military action in Iran.
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