Trump leveled by retired general for making Iran war decisions based on advice from Fox News hosts
During a panel discussion on the increased tensions between the U.S. and Iran after a drone was shot down by the Middle Eastern country in international airspace, a retired general claimed he was worried about Donald Trump's response based upon who it appears the president listens to when it comes to advice.
Speaking with host John Berman, retired Lt. General Mark Hertling warned that the shootdown was a dangerous provocation.
"It's huge, John," Hertling explained. "You can go all the way from backing down completely to a full-scale war -- that's what's dangerous about this situation."
"We're attempting to solve this as a short-term problem, when in fact the malign actions of the Iranian government are a long-term issue," he added. "They have been doing this for a while, and it's going to take more than just sound bite and tactical actions which we've seen."
Asked by New Day co-host Alisyn Camerota, "What would be a proportionate response here for theU.S.," Herting changed direction.
"You know, if I may first, Alisyn, [CNN analyst] Sarah Isgur made some very good points because the president is listening to Laura Ingraham, Tucker Carlson, [Sen.] Tom Cotton (R-AR), none of whom are national security experts --they don't have the expertise."
"Who he's [Trump] not listening to is the CIA director, the joint chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Secretary of Defense, the acting Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State and some of the other people who should be providing input in term of a primary commitment as what the long-term U.S. strategy should be," he continued before bluntly adding, "The president is listening to the wrong people, and again he's making short-term announcements and decisions on an issue that's a long-term problem."
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