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Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, both progressive “Squad” members, lashed out at President Donald Trump on Saturday in response to his decision to strike Iran.
“Trump has launched an illegal regime change war,” Omar posted on X. “As someone who has survived the horrors of war, I know military strikes will not make us safer; they will inflame tensions and push the region further into chaos.”
Omar, who fled Somalia as a refugee as a young child, added, “When we abandon diplomacy, we choose destruction.”
Tlaib reacted on social media to a clip of Trump acknowledging that there may be American casualties in this attack.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, with Rep. Rashida Tlaib at her side, speaks at a press conference. (Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
“He doesn’t care about our loved ones in the military,” Tlaib posted on X in a message that was reposted by Omar. “He doesn’t care about the fact that Americans don’t want this war.”
“He doesn’t care about the Iranian people. He is corrupted. Don’t fall for the lies.”
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York also slammed President Donald Trump for abandoning diplomacy in favor of launching an attack against Iran, predicting the outcome will be “catastrophic.”
“The American people are once again dragged into a war they did not want by a president who does not care about the long-term consequences of his actions. This war is unlawful. It is unnecessary. And it will be catastrophic,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
“Just this week, Iran and the United States were negotiating key measures that could have staved off war. The President walked away from these discussions and chose war instead. President Trump flippantly acknowledged the possibility of American casualties, stating ‘that often happens in war,’” she continued. “Mr. President: this was not an inevitability. This is a deliberate choice of aggression when diplomacy and security were within reach. Stop lying to the American people.
Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, another progressive House member associated with the informal “Squad” group, called Trump’s actions an “illegal war” in a post on X.
“Yet again, an American president is sending other people’s kids to risk their lives in a senseless regime change war,” Casar said.
The U.S. and Israel launched the joint attack just after 9 a.m. local time in what the Pentagon has dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.”
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In video remarks posted to Truth Social, Trump addressed the Iranian people directly and told them to “seize control of [their] destiny.”
“The hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,” Trump said. “This will be, probably, your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America’s help, but you never got it. No President was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a President who is giving you what you want.”
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
While Trump focused some of his message on empowering the people of Iran, he stated that the intent of the operation is to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” which he described as “vicious” and “very hard, terrible people.”
Trump also said that while there may be American casualties as a result, the mission is “noble” as it is aimed at stopping a “wicked, radical dictatorship” from threatening American national security interests and destabilizing the Middle East.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report
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