Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., said he trusts President Donald Trump "implicitly" along with top national security officials as lawmakers await additional details about the U.S. and Israel's strikes on Iran Saturday.
"I trust President Trump's judgment implicitly," Fine told Newsmax TV's "Saturday Agenda" after Trump in a video announcing the "major combat operations" told Iranians that "when we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations."
The congressman also praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, calling their work "extraordinary" and saying he has "no reason to doubt their judgment" based on previous briefings to lawmakers.
Fine said members of Congress expect to begin receiving more detailed information Sunday about the latest developments.
"We will start to get information starting tomorrow afternoon about what happened," he said, adding that he believes the briefings will confirm longstanding U.S. concerns about Tehran's intentions.
"I think they're going to tell us what we already know," Fine said. "Iran wanted a nuclear weapon and intercontinental ballistic missiles that could hit the United States."
Iran's nuclear program has long been a source of tension between Washington and Tehran.
U.S. officials across multiple administrations have accused Iran of seeking capabilities that could let it build a nuclear weapon, an allegation Iranian leaders have denied, maintaining their program is for peaceful purposes.
Fine pointed to Iran's history of hostile rhetoric toward the U.S. as further evidence of the threat.
"When someone yells 'Death to America' for 47 years, you ought to believe them," he said.
At the same time, Fine expressed confidence in Trump's approach to foreign policy, describing the president's actions as measured.
"Donald Trump has proven over the last year that he does things surgically targeted," Fine said. "He knows what he's doing and he knows how he wants to get out of it."
Fine also suggested that the Iranian people, despite decades of rule by the country's clerical leadership, ultimately seek closer ties with the West.
"In the case of Iran, it is in their DNA to be a Western country," he said. "They have been persecuted by Muslim religious leaders for 47 years. But I believe the people in Iran want freedom and have that underlying foundation to take control of their country and to make it a friend to America."
"Imagine a country chanting 'friend to America' instead of 'death to America,'" Fine added. "How great that would be for the entire world."
Fine also pushed back on criticism from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who has questioned the administration's actions.
"Barack Obama attacked seven countries without congressional authorization. He dropped 26,000 bombs in 2016 alone," Fine said. "And so how this so-called minority leader can criticize Donald Trump for taking action to protect Americans? He's just not very bright."
Jeffries and other Democrats have raised concerns about executive authority and congressional oversight in matters involving military force. Congress is expected to review additional information in the coming days.
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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