It was "tone-deaf" and "appalling" for President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to offer condolences to Iran after the death of its President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash earlier this month, Rep. Don Bacon told Newsmax on Sunday.
'[He's] someone who killed hundreds and hundreds of folks who wanted freedom in Tehran, who's been an enemy of our country," the Nebraska Republican told Newsmax's "Sunday Report." "You know they hate us. They've been targeting our troops, our allies in the Middle East, and to extend condolences to an enemy, it's just appalling."
He added that Biden and his administration have communicated weakness through their words and actions on Iran.
"They see this weakness and they'll keep coming and targeting us unless we stand up more forcefully and treat them for who they are," said Bacon. "They are our enemies and our adversaries."
Meanwhile, Raisi's death won't change the situation with Iran, because nothing will be different "as long as you have Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and whoever replaces these mullahs" who consider the United States and Israel as their main allies, the congressman said.
"They want to build a Shia regional superpower in that part of the world," Bacon said. "They want to grow their borders with the Shia faith out there and so they want to undermine Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE. They eventually want to have this Shia empire in the Middle East like they had centuries and centuries ago."
This means that until the current regime is gone, "they're going to be our adversaries," he said. "We need to work with Israel and our Arab allies and be more forceful in our opposition towards them. We shouldn't let them import or export a drop of oil. We've got to choke off their financial resources."
Bacon, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, also discussed the defense bill passed last week, noting he had 21 amendments and 31 recommendations on improving the lives of people serving in the military, including raising wages and working on housing, health care, and more.
"We have the strongest military in the world," said Bacon, acknowledging the issue the military is facing with recruitment numbers. "Our all-volunteer force puts America's best in there. These folks are selfless. They serve at a low pay, but they defend our freedoms."
However, Biden's actions are undermining military recruitment through his weakness, he said.
"We need an administration that talks more about the role of our military, that we're the biggest, the toughest military in the world serving freedom," Bacon said. "That recruits people."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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