'Trump cited GOP hawks’ support as reason to assassinate Soleimani: Reports
US President Donald Trump has told his associates his decision to assassinate Iran’s top commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani came amid pressure from Senate war hawks he views as crucial allies in his upcoming impeachment trial, according to two separate reports.
As Trump discussed the assassination drone strike at his private mansion in Mar-a-Lago, he told some associates that he wanted to safeguard the backing of Senate Republicans in time for the impeachment trial in the upper chamber, The New York Times said in a report this week.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that after the assassination operation, Trump told associates he was under pressure from a number of Senate Republicans, whose support he needs in the impeachment trial, to take action on the Iranian general.
“Mr. Trump, after the strike, told associates he was under pressure to deal with Gen. Soleimani from GOP senators he views as important supporters in his coming impeachment trial in the Senate, associates said,” according to the Journal.
The reports did not mention any Republican senators by name, however, many of the president’s allies in the Senate, including Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, have openly praised his decision to assassinate Gen. Soleimani.
Sen. Graham was reportedly the only senator who was briefed by the administration about the assassination operation.
“I was briefed about the potential operation when I was down in Florida. I appreciate being brought into the orbit,” the senator told FOX News.
Soleimani, the head of Iran's Quds Force, was assassinated in a US drone strike outside Baghdad’s International Airport last Friday.
The new information comes as the Trump administration is under mounting pressure from Congress concerning the justification for assassinating the senior military official of another country.
Let's be clear - if there was evidence of imminent attacks on four embassies, the Administration would have said so at our Wednesday briefing. They didn't.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 10, 2020
So either Fox News gets higher level briefings than Congress...
or...wait for it...
there was no such imminent threat.
The reports further call into questions the narrative by Trump and his top aides that General Soleimani had been planning “imminent” attacks against US personnel and interests. Even some US officials have admitted that there is no evidence to support that claim.
In the wake of the assassination, a number of Republican senators have joined Democrats in pushing back against Trump’s war powers.
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