Rep. Turner: Harris, Biden, Must Respond to Iran's Threats on Trump

Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden should acknowledge and respond to the active, ongoing threat from Iran to kill former President Donald Trump, Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, said Sunday.

"The administration has come out and publicly stated" that intelligence reports show Iran plotting to kill Trump, but there have been "no statements from the administration" that such action could be construed as an "act of war," the Congressman said on CBS News' "Face the Nation."

"I think there's certainly a role for her to play and for the president to play in this, in both identifying that there are threats against Donald Trump that need to be acknowledged and responded to, to deter," the congressman added.

Still, he said he does think "all the candidates" need to de-escalate their language.

"This administration has made stronger statements about Iran's hacking activities than they have about the active plot to kill Donald Trump, which the administration acknowledges is ongoing," Turner added.

Meanwhile, the FBI should conclude whether either of the two assassination attempts against Trump has any connection to an active plot from Iran, said Turner.

Turner, though, said he doesn't think the FBI would be able to rule out claims from the Trump camp that the political opposition's rhetoric has sparked the attempts on the former president's life.

"I think they need to conclude and they need to get to the truth," he said."I don't think they would be able to get to a point to release information that would conclusively indicate that either of those individuals acted completely alone."

Turner also on Sunday discussed the ongoing situation in the Middle East, including his claims just after the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel that they were the result of an intelligence failure on the part of the Israelis.

"The United States is working cooperatively with Israel in ways that we were not necessarily working prior to Oct. 7," said Turner. "I do think that Israel has changed its focus in its intelligence collecting and its assessments of its intelligence. I mean, they certainly have risen to the occasion to understand that they're in an active conflict and looking for ways to diminish the capabilities of their adversaries."

Still, Turner said he does not believe the Biden administration has risen to the occasion concerning the growing tension between Israel and Iran.

"President Biden, has previously said that the United States would not allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon, and that he would use military action if necessary," said Turner. His own secretary of state has said more than two weeks ago that Iran's breakout time to become a nuclear state was two weeks."

But with Biden saying Israel can only reply to Iran "in proportion," it is as if the administration is saying that Iran can send 200 missiles into Israel, but if defense systems take them out, "we won't look at Iran's provocation," said Turner.

"Israel needs to be able to defend itself, and Iran needs to pay a price," he added.

It is also "completely irresponsible" for Biden to give Iran the comfort that their actions will not have any consequences for their nuclear weapons program, said Turner.