Roger Stone, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, told Newsmax on Monday the administration wants the conflict with Iran to end as quickly as possible.
On "Greg Kelly Reports," Stone said Trump is mindful of public resistance to prolonged foreign conflicts.
"The president recognizes that the country has no appetite for an endless foreign war," Stone said. "There are no boots on the ground. We don't have tens of thousands of American casualties."
Stone added that the current conflict differs from past wars in terms of scale and economic involvement.
"There are no giant billion-dollar contracts for Halliburton or General Dynamics, and so on," he said. "I think the president, along with every American, wants to get this over with as quickly as possible."
He also argued that U.S. military operations have significantly weakened Iran's capabilities.
"Of that, there is no question," Stone said.
Stone said the administration's actions were justified if intelligence indicated Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon.
"And if the president judged based on what Tulsi Gabbard showed him, that they were this close to having a nuclear device … then I say, you did the right thing," he said.
He also defended Gabbard, Trump's director of national intelligence, saying disagreement within an administration can be constructive.
"She supports him," Stone said. "I support him having diversity. Internal debate inside your administration is not a bad thing."
Stone criticized public dissent from within the administration, arguing such disagreements should remain private.
"Internal discussions need to remain internal," he said.
He also took aim at Joe Kent, former director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
"Joe Kent? That I think is clout chasing," Stone said. "That's what's unacceptable."
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Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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