A Republican member of Congress faced widespread social media ridicule on Wednesday after attempting to justify President Donald Trump's military actions in Iran, despite his 2024 campaign promise of "no new wars."
During an interview on Newsmax, Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) was asked how she would address Americans who are "sick and tired of this war," particularly those who voted for Trump because he pledged to end conflicts rather than start new ones. These voters, the interviewer noted, are experiencing war fatigue.
Tenney responded by drawing comparisons to previous U.S. military engagements. "Well, it's not been very long," she said. "We were in Iraq and Afghanistan for over 20 years under a couple of different presidents, so, uh, this is a very short-term conflict, and this is all about lasting peace. It's not a forever war."
She further insisted that Trump, who earlier that day claimed the United States had been secretly taking "millions of barrels of oil" from Iran, was "trying to rid the world of a terrorist regime that has been wreaking havoc on our own military" and threatening to develop nuclear weapons. "It's time for them to go, and it's time to have peace and prosperity," she added.
Critics on social media were quick to point out that Tenney failed to directly answer the question about the contradiction between Trump's campaign promise and his actions. Many ridiculed the notion that a shorter war is inherently more acceptable than a longer one.
Daniel Davis, a commentator, noted the irony: "It must be George Orwell Day in the Iran War saga. Rep. Tenney repeats President Trump's talking points that we were in Afghanistan War for 20 years and so how can any American complain because we've been at this for 'only' three months? Then the claim we are seeking 'lasting peace.'"
David Stockman called it "the ultimate (and most hideous) case of Whataboutism." Ryan Costello remarked, "Yet like Iraq and Afghanistan, the war with Iran is not going to improve with age."
Ron Filipkowski criticized the talking point: "This is the worst possible talking point for Trump's war and I have no idea why they all keep using it. Trump said when this started the whole thing would be wrapped up in 4-6 weeks with unconditional surrender and regime change to a pro-US government in Iran."
Fred Wellman highlighted the ongoing cost: "Over 50,000 troops are deployed across the region. We are losing aircraft and firing missiles and drones while they tell us to stop complaining because it's only been a three month failure. Absolute monsters."
Others questioned Tenney's certainty about the war's duration. One user asked, "Very short term war in Iran? Does she have a crystal ball? He's prolonging it imho -- more killing last night. Today he says he's stealing their oil ... so, stick around?"
Some directly tagged Tenney to remind her that she had not answered the original question. One user wrote, "Hey @claudiatenney that wasn't the question you lying magat."
Tenney did respond to one person who asked how the Iran war aligns with Trump's "no new wars" promise, but she still avoided a direct answer, instead posting: "For years, the Iranian regime has beaten, tortured, and murdered its own people while chanting 'Death to America.' @POTUS is putting American national security first and sending a simple message: America will not back down from a regime that threatens our homeland, our citizens, and our allies."
