Murphy On SOTU: If You Support The Troops, Then You Should Be Voting Against Funding The War

WASHINGTON -U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)on Sunday appeared on CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper to discuss Donald Trump’s illegal and disastrous war in Iran. Murphy argued against providing a historically incompetent Trump administration with additional funding to carry out a war Americans don’t support. Murphy made clear Trump will fail to contain Iran’s nuclear program, and will succeed only in destabilizing the entire region, putting American troops in harm’s way and steeply raising prices for American families.
Murphy slammed the Trump administration’s increasingly confused and reckless execution of the war, with no coherent plan or defined endpoint in sight:“I think this administration just fails to understand how to achieve any of their objectives. So their objectives shift by the minute. Sometimes we're pursuing regime change, sometimes we're not.”
He continued:“It doesn't look as if we're going to do anything except substitute one hard line leader with another hard line leader, and that, in the end, is going to make Iran a place that continues to engage in provocation throughout the region and against the United States after our military campaign is done. This, in the end, just doesn't seem to achieve anything other than waste a billion dollars a day and drive up prices for Americans here at home.”
Murphy rebuffed Republicans’ tired talking points in favor of giving the Pentagon a $50 billion supplemental for a deeply unpopular war:“Come on. The American people don't want this war. They don't want this war. They have seen what happens when American troops go into places like Iraq, places like Afghanistan. Ultimately, we get a lot of people killed. We waste a lot of dollars. The one thing the American people are clear about is that they do not want the United States dragged into another long term war in the Middle East. If you support the troops, then you should be voting against funding this war so that we get our troops out of harm's way. Virtually nothing good happened from sending thousands of Americans to die inside Iraq in the 2000s and if we don't learn that lesson, then shame on every single one of us.”
Appalled at the deadly strike on an Iranian girls’ school, Murphy warned such shocking violence would eventually have significant national security repercussions for the U.S.:“I think it is likely the United States carried out this attack on this school. I think it's unforgivable under any circumstances, but the fact that this was one of our first targeting decisions, that this mistake was made on the first day of war, I think speaks to the incompetence of our leadership at the Department of Defense. There is also some reporting in the last 48 hours that we hit a desalinization plant. That may be an intentional strike. If we're hitting girls' schools by mistake, and trying to separate the ability of the Iranian people to get clean water, that's a war, ultimately, that's going to give rise to a broader Shia militancy against the United States.”
He made the case that Trump's blunt military approach to stalling Iran’s nuclear program is destined to fail, and risks committing U.S. forces to a permanent presence in the region:“What they fail to understand is that you can't bomb knowledge out of existence. Even if you were to do something wildly dangerous, like putting American ground forces in to try to extract some of their enriched uranium, there's still going to be the knowledge inside Iran, so that if you don't actually succeed in putting a new leader inside that country, they will just be able to rebuild that capacity as soon as American forces are gone. So this is a billion-dollar waste of money every day, as we are pursuing objectives that the administration can't actually effectuate.”
Murphy emphasized diplomacy is the only method which has succeeded in preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon:“What I disagree with is that an aerial military campaign, or even the insertion of ground forces can permanently dislodge Iran from having a nuclear weapon... We had a diplomatic agreement. Barack Obama negotiated an agreement in which Iran was more than a year away from getting a weapon. We had daily inspections scouring the country. It was working! Donald Trump's advisors told him it was working. He threw that agreement into the trash, which precipitated the crisis that we are in today. This was, this is a place where diplomacy probably is the only true path to make sure that Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapon.”
Murphy also previewed whether he’ll vote to confirm Markwayne Mullin as the next DHS secretary:“I won't vote for him in part because I have not yet heard that he's going to make any commitment to clean up the broad illegality at that department. And I think you were right in your questioning of my colleague, Senator Tillis: it doesn't really matter who's the Secretary of Homeland Security. Stephen Miller is calling the shots. A recent judge said that they are violating 96 different court orders. There's still risk of more Americans being killed. They are rounding up and disappearing thousands of legal immigrants to this country. Until we have a Homeland Security secretary and a White House that are committed to ending this illegality, the terrorizing of American communities by the Department of Homeland Security, I'm not going to support anybody who's up for that mission.”
A full transcript of the interview is available below.
Tapper:President Trump is not ruling out sending ground troops into Iran. Joining us now is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Democratic senator, Chris Murphy. Senator, thanks so much for being here.
So, as I just referenced, this morning on Axios, two very well sourced reporters in the administration, Barack Rabin and Mark Caputo for Axios, are reporting that the US is weighing, they have not made a decision, but weighing sending in Special Forces to specifically seize Iran's enriched uranium. You heard Senator Tillis say that might necessitate congressional authorization for use of force. What's your reaction?
Murphy:I mean, this is already a war that is becoming an ongoing disaster. It gets worse if the President is talking about putting ground forces in, talking at that point about dozens, if not hundreds, of new American casualties. I think this administration just fails to understand how to achieve any of their objectives. So their objectives shift by the minute. Sometimes we're pursuing regime change, sometimes we're not. They have been consistent about trying to eliminate Iran's nuclear program. But what they fail to understand is that you can't bomb knowledge out of existence. Even if you were to do something wildly dangerous, like putting American ground forces in to try to extract some of their enriched uranium, there's still going to be the knowledge inside Iran, so that if you don't actually succeed in putting a new leader inside that country, they will just be able to rebuild that capacity as soon as American forces are gone. So this is a billion dollar waste of money. Every single day we are pursuing objectives that the administration can't actually effectuate, including using military force to try to destroy the knowledge that already exists inside Iran to build a nuclear weapon, right?
Tapper:But, but to play devil's advocate here, surely you can bomb enough to degrade their capabilities and also create deterrence? I mean, in 2020, you wrote about Iran after you met with the foreign minister. Quote: ‘I have no delusions about Iran. They're our adversary, responsible for the killing of thousands of Americans and unacceptable levels of support for terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East.’ So you're taking issue with the way this war is being conducted? You take issue with the fact that they killed the Ayatollah and they're taking out the missile facilities and taking out the nuclear enrichment facilities?
Murphy:So there are all sorts of regimes that I oppose around the world, but that doesn't mean that I advocate for the United States military to go in with aerial campaigns and ground campaigns to eliminate that leadership, because what we have vast experience with, especially in the Middle East, is that leads to more destabilization, more problems, more threats against the United States and again, let's be clear, even though Donald Trump says that his goal is regime change. It doesn't look as if we're going to do anything except substitute one hard line leader with another hard line leader, and that, in the end, is going to make Iran a place that continues to engage in provocation throughout the region and against the United States after our military campaign is done. This, in the end, just doesn't seem to achieve anything other than waste a billion dollars a day and drive up prices for Americans here at home.
Tapper:So your former colleague, Senator, now Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, he would say, ‘There is a difference between Iran having a nuclear weapon and all the other regimes you're referring to’ that you oppose their leaders - I imagine you're talking about China and Russia - in that the mullahs in Iran, this is, again, Rubio's characterization, are mad men, and they believe in holy war, and they believe in killing the Crusaders of the United States and the Jews of Israel, and there is a special degree of unacceptability for them having a nuclear weapon.
Murphy:So, yeah, I don't disagree. But what I disagree with is that an aerial military campaign, or even the insertion of ground forces can permanently dislodge Iran from having a nuclear weapon. Again, you were talking about knowledge. That can't be bombed out of existence -
Tapper:So how do you stop it?
Murphy:A diplomatic agreement. We had a diplomatic agreement. Barack Obama negotiated an agreement in which Iran was more than a year away from getting a weapon. We had daily inspections scouring the country. It was working! Donald Trump's advisors told him it was working. He threw that agreement into the trash, which precipitated the crisis that we are in today. This was, this is a place where diplomacy probably is the only true path to make sure that Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapon.
Tapper:So the administration is reportedly weighing Congress to approve an additional $50 billion in funding for these operations. You have said you're a hell no, not just a no on funding the war. We have seen this movie before. We know that that vote will be cast as - especially if you run for higher office - you voting against the troops.
Murphy:Oh, come on. I mean, the American people don't want this war. They don't want this war. They have seen what happens when American troops go into places like Iraq, places like Afghanistan. Ultimately, we get a lot of people killed. we waste a lot of dollars. The one thing the American people are clear about is that they do not want the United States dragged into another long term war in the Middle East. If you support the troops, then you should be voting against funding this war so that we get our troops out of harm's way. Virtually nothing good happened from sending thousands of Americans to die inside Iraq in the 2000s and if we don't learn that lesson, then shame on every single one of us.
Tapper:So new evidence suggests that the US military may have been responsible for a strike on a girls elementary school in Iran. Iranian officials say at least 168 children and 14 teachers were killed. We have not independently verified those numbers. Trump was asked about it, he said he thinks Iran did it. What do you know, as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and if it was the US, do you think there should be accountability - and do you trust Secretary Hegseth to bring about that accountability?
Murphy:I think it is likely the United States that carried out this attack on this school, I think it's unforgivable under any circumstances, but the fact that this was one of our first targeting decisions, that this mistake was made on the first day of war, I think speaks to the incompetence of our leadership at the Department of Defense. There is also some reporting in the last 48 hours that we hit a desalinization plant. That may be an intentional strike. If we're hitting girls schools by mistake, and trying to separate the ability of the Iranian people to get clean water. That's a war, ultimately, that's going to give rise to a broader Shia militancy against the United States. It was our attacks on civilians, some intentional, some unintentional, inside Afghanistan, giving a second chance to the Taliban.
Tapper:And you think the strike against the girls’ school is a war crime?
Murphy:Well, I think if it's a mistake, it's very different than an intentional strike. So there are undoubtedly mistakes that are made in war. I trust that this was a mistake, but the fact that it was a mistake made on the first day, I just think, speaks to the fact that we don't have serious people right now making decisions at the White House.
Tapper:Before you go, sir, I want to turn to the shake up at the Department of Homeland Security. You work with Senator Markwayne Mullin. Will you vote for him to be the next Secretary of DHS?
Murphy:I won't vote for him, in part because I have not yet heard that he's going to make any commitment to clean up the broad illegality at that department. And I think you were right in your questioning of my colleague, Senator Tillis: it doesn't really matter who's the Secretary of Homeland Security. Stephen Miller is calling the shots. A recent judge said that they are violating 96 different court orders. There's still risk of more Americans being killed. They are rounding up and disappearing thousands of legal immigrants to this country. Until we have a Homeland Security secretary and a White House that are committed to ending this illegality, the terrorizing of American communities by the Department of Homeland Security, I'm not going to support anybody who's up for that mission.
Tapper:Alright. Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, thank you so much for being here this morning.
Murphy:Thank you.