NEWSWEEK
Former President Donald Trump expressed his “profound sympathies” to the families of the three U.S. service members killed in an attack by Iran-backed militants on Sunday, blaming President Joe Biden for “this terrible day.”
The Pentagon confirmed to Newsweek on Sunday that three U.S. military personnel were killed and more than 30 injured by a drone strike in Jordan, a close Middle Eastern ally to the United States. Biden blamed the strike on Iran-backed militants, with officials saying the attack had been launched from Syria. The troops were stationed near the Jordan-Syrian border.
“This brazen attack on the United States is yet another horrific and tragic consequence of Joe Biden’s weakness and surrender,” Trump, who is currently running for the GOP’s presidential nomination to again challenge Biden, wrote in a series of Truth Social posts about the attack. He went on to tout his tough stance against Iran as president, saying that this attack “would NEVER have happened if” he was still in the White House.
“This terrible day is yet more proof that we need an immediate return to PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, so that there will be no more chaos, no more destruction, and no more loss of precious American lives. Our Country cannot survive with Joe Biden as Commander in Chief,” the former president wrote.
White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates responded to Republican criticism of Biden in an email to Newsweek, calling it “illogical and detrimental to our safety and security.” He said that the “same militias” carried out attacks on U.S. troops during Trump’s presidency.
“As President Biden said today, we will respond decisively at a time and place of our choosing. President Biden has acted swiftly and forcefully to hold the Iranian backers of these hostile groups accountable – including with multiple air strikes,” Bates said.
“Jill and I join the families and friends of our fallen—and Americans across the country—in grieving the loss of these warriors in this despicable and wholly unjust attack. These service members embodied the very best of our nation: Unwavering in their bravery,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House after the news broke.
During remarks at a church in South Carolina, Biden said: “We had a tough day last night in the Middle East. We lost three brave souls in an attack on one of our bases.”
After moment of silence, the president said, “and we shall respond.”
