Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) sounded more like Dick Cheney than the Democratic Leader when he delivered remarks on Iran this weekend. He stated that Iran was weak and the U.S. “can’t take its foot off the gas until Iran is brought to its knees” using “all available mechanisms.”
This hawkish rhetoric comes as Donald Trump has positioned himself as an anti-war president and says he wants to resolve the nuclear issue with Iran diplomatically. It begs the question as to whether the Democrats are actively seeking to become the party of war and deliver more votes from the millions of anti-war Americans to Trump and the Republican Party.
America faces a major choice on foreign policy right now – utilize diplomacy with Iran and others in the region to prevent another war and de-escalate tensions, or listen to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and neoconservative hawks who are pressing for war with Iran.
The American people are tired of their leaders investing more in endless wars abroad and courting new ones while ignoring problems at home. Time will tell if Trump has indeed shifted Republicans away from pro-war policies to put the party in greater alignment with the public or if this is just a rhetorical shift. But the pattern of Democratic leaders echoing neoconservative talking points – especially on the Middle East – has alienated many Americans.
Democrats wondering why they lost the recent election have to look in the mirror. Their unpopular policy and rhetoric on foreign policy making them look like the party of war is a major reason why.
We urge Congressman Jeffries to clarify his remarks to make clear that he does not support a new, unauthorized war against Iran and instead supports smart diplomacy to contain tensions and prevent the U.S. from launching a conflict against its interests.
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