Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) got schooled by CNN host Brianna Keilar during a discussion of the Biden administration’s Middle East policy Monday on the network after the congressman suggested the administration was responsible for attacks on U.S. forces by proxy groups loyal to Iran.
Keilar noted that the Trump administration also struggled to control Iran.
“I know you’re critical of President Biden, that you think he is emboldening Iran, but how should the U.S. respond when even former President Trump — I mean, you said that peace broke out [under his watch], but his direct and controversial action like taking out [late Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani] did not stop the deadly attacks on U.S. troops.”
Waltz said that killing Soleimani had been effective, “They launched some missiles and that was it!”
Keilar, whose husband is an active duty Green Beret, interjected, “Service members died!”
Waltz: “Who died, post-Soleimani strike?”
That’s when Keilar fact-checked the congressman.
“March 2020, service members died,” she said. “You had Iranian-backed proxies… the one in March was determined that it likely was [Iran] and you had service members, two Americans and one Brit, who were killed… So if we’re talking realistically on what deters and what does not deter the proxies, then let’s use those facts to talk about what might actually be a way to… get them to stop.”