Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu is having none of the Trump administration’s efforts to hide the cost of his needless Iran war or President Draft Dodger’s boast about the number of troop casualties.
On Wednesday, during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Lieu laid into Mike Waltz, Trump’s U.N. ambassador.
Lieu confronted Waltz on Trump’s repeated claims that Iran’s military has been obliterated. “How is it possible that 482 American troops have been wounded and 18 service members killed by a Iranian military that's been purportedly obliterated?” Lieu asked.
Waltz tried to parse the meaning of “obliterated” by saying that the Iranian military has been “massively damaged, if not completely ineffective.” But, to further justify the Trump war, Waltz said Iran is “still obsessed with a nuclear weapon” and is “firing on all of its neighbors, including our bases.”
Waltz finished with the condescending remark, “But if I need to explain it to you further, I can.”
Lieu shot back, “You need to explain to American people how an Iranian military that's been purportedly obliterated killed 18 U.S. service members and wounded 480.”
Waltz later tried to dodge questions about the war by saying Lieu should refer to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s testimony the day before.
Lieu wasn’t having any of that, either, given that Walz did a Security Council resolution on Iran. “Focus on the troops that have been wounded and killed,” he said. “Do not be so callous with the safety and lives of American troops.”
Instead of doing that, Waltz snarked, “Try to get re-elected. … You should.”
Lieu’s point was that the Trump administration is being reckless with our troops’ welfare and repeatedly exposing them to Iranian missiles and drones.
His voice rose in fury:
LIEU: You don't even know how many U.S. troops were wounded in this Iran war. Shame on you for not even know[ing][/ing] basic facts. You are the U.S. ambassador, and you don't even know how many U.S. troops were wounded in Iran War? … You should resign! … You gave false information to Congress. You should be ashamed of yourself for not even knowing how many U.S. troops were wounded in the Iranian war.
Every single member of the Trump administration should be called out for standing behind Trump’s lies and his literally deadly policies.
