Former President Donald Trump Sunday called the unmanned drone attack that killed three American troops and wounded dozens of others "another horrific and tragic consequence of Joe Biden's weakness and surrender."
The attack "marks a horrible day for America," Trump said in a statement posted on social media. "My most profound sympathies go to the Families of the Brave Servicemembers we have lost. I ask all Americans to join me in praying for those who have been wounded."
The attack targeted forces stationed in northeast Jordan near the Syrian border, Biden and U.S. officials said Sunday.
"While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq," Biden said in a statement.
But Trump pointed out in his statement that three years ago "Iran was weak, broke, and totally under control" because of his maximum pressure policy.
"The Iranian Regime could barely scrape two dollars together to fund their terrorist proxies," Trump said. "Then Joe Biden came in and gave Iran billions of dollars, which the Regime has used to spread bloodshed and carnage throughout the Middle East."
Trump maintained that the attack "would NEVER have happened if I was president, not even a chance, just like the Iranian-backed Hamas attack on Israel would never have happened, the War in Ukraine would never have happened."
"We would right now have Peace throughout the World," he added. "Instead, we are on the brink of World War 3."
Trump, the front-runner in the race for the GOP nomination, further said that the attacks are "yet more proof that we need an immediate return" to the policy of peace through strength, so "there will be no more chaos, no more destruction, and no more loss of precious American lives."
He concluded by saying that the United States "cannot survive with Joe Biden as Commander in Chief."
White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates responded with the following statement:
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. Attempts by far right congressional Republicans to politicize our national security are illogical and detrimental to our safety and security. In fact, these Republican officials never criticized the previous administration when the same militias attacked American troops, including in 2020. If congressional Republicans share President Biden’s priority of holding Iran accountable, they should back his retaliation against the groups who committed today’s acts, as well as the national security supplemental request – and they should stop giving Iran a pass for helping Russia attack Ukraine.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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