The former president of the Council on Foreign Relations reacted with alarm on Friday morning over a report that Donald Trump threatened Iran with military intervention in a middle of the night post on his Truth Social platform.
Appearing on MS NOW just hours after the president made his over-the-top online threat, a very agitated Richard Haas told “Morning Joe” co-host Jonathan Lemire that Trump is playing a “dangerous” game that will get people killed.
As host Lemire noted, the president was up at 3AM in Florida when he wrote, “If Iran shots (sic) and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J.TRUMP.”
Lemire prompted his guest with, “That's remarkable words there from the president of the United States I know have alarmed you. So walk us through what? What they may yield.”
“What's going on in Iran is quite significant,” Haas began. “It's not the first time we've seen things like this, but it's on a larger scale. The [Iranian] economy is doing terribly, the currency is basically wallpaper, there are significant protests. But to say we will come to people's aid: dangerous. One, is this going to encourage people to come out and protest? And if so, they'll likely to get slaughtered.”
“We've seen these things,” the former diplomat asserted. “The idea that we're going to use military force. Well, how what would you do to use military force to protect millions of people if they're out in the streets! This is just empty, dangerous rhetoric.”
“The president should put away his phone!” the animated Haas exclaimed. “This is not the way you make foreign policy.”