On ABC’s “The View” Tuesday, co-host Meghan McCain asked Sen. Elizabeth Warren, why she altered a statement initially calling Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Gen. Qasem Soleimani a murderer, then flip-flopped to call his death an “assassination.”
“I don’t understand the flip flop. I don’t understand why it was so hard to call him a terrorist, and I would just like you to explain,” McCain said.
Warren tip-toed around the question until McCain pushed Warren by asking, “so, do you think he’s a terrorist?”
“He’s part of a group that’s been designated as terrorists,” Warren said.
“So, he’s not a terrorist?” McCain asked.
“Of course he is,” Warren said. “He’s part of a group that our federal government has designated as a terrorist.”
Under questioning from @MeghanMcCain, @ewarren — who called Soleimani's killing "an assassination” — now says “of course” he’s a terrorist pic.twitter.com/nS4OCRFdv8
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 7, 2020
After the White House announced they had successfully killed Soelimani, Warren issued a statement calling Soleimani a “murderer” who was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans.
Soleimani was a murderer, responsible for the deaths of thousands, including hundreds of Americans. But this reckless move escalates the situation with Iran and increases the likelihood of more deaths and new Middle East conflict. Our priority must be to avoid another costly war.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 3, 2020
She then issued another statement criticizing President Trump for the assassination of a foreign military official.
Donald Trump ripped up an Iran nuclear deal that was working. He’s repeatedly escalated tensions. Now he’s assassinated a senior foreign military official. He’s been marching toward war with Iran since his first days in office—but the American people won’t stand for it.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 3, 2020
It’s worth noting that Soleimani wasn’t just “part of a group” as Warren emphasized repeatedly. He was the leader of the Quds Force, a unit in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and a brutal one at that. When Warren says Soleimani was “part of a group,” that’s like saying Osama bin Laden was just part of al-Qaeda because al-Qaeda is designated as a terrorist organization.
If Warren wasn’t as protected and beloved by the media as she is as a 2020 candidate, journalists would have already pressed her on her squeamish rhetoric. You don’t have t support Trump or even agree with him to admit Soleimani was a terrorist.
