GOP Senator Mike Lee from Utah walked out of a classified briefing from Trump administration officials upset that the briefing was insufficient.
The briefing covered the reasons why Trump decided to authorize a strike that killed top Iranian terror General Suleimani.
Lee was joined by Senator Rand Paul in expressing their skepticism of the strike.
This is a stunning statement from GOP Senator Mike Lee (Utah) who just left a classified intelligence briefing on the situation in Iran. pic.twitter.com/XmwscWV7ng
— Yashar Ali ???? (@yashar) January 8, 2020
According to The Daily Caller:
Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee left a classified Capitol Hill intelligence briefing on the situation in Iran held by the White House visibly angry Wednesday, saying he will now support a resolution to establish control over President Donald Trump’s military powers.
Both Lee and Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul addressed the media in the U.S. Capitol after leaving the briefing and criticized the way the briefing went. Lee at one point called it “the worst briefing I’ve seen, at least on a military issue.” Paul also said he would vote to support Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine’s War Powers Resolution.
…
“What I found so distressing about that briefing was that one of the messages we received from the briefers was, ‘Do not debate. Do not discuss the issue of the appropriateness of further military intervention against Iran. And then if you do, you’ll be emboldening Iran,’” Lee said, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
“The implication being that we would somehow be making America less safe by having a debate or a discussion about the appropriateness of further military involvement against the government of Iran,” Lee went on. “Now, I find this insulting and demeaning, not personally, but to the office that each of the 100 senators in this building happens to hold.”
Lee was not happy that the administration wouldn’t allow the senators to debate the appropriateness of military intervention with Iran. Lee hasn’t said whether he will support the war powers resolution.
