Representative Jim Himes (D-Conn.) offered a somewhat lukewarm endorsement of President Trump’s approach to the ongoing military situation between Israel and Iran, mentioning he would take a couple of weeks to assess whether to act against Iran directly.
“The fact that we haven’t seen news about a US attack on Iran gives me a bit more reassurance,” shared Himes during an interview with independent broadcaster Jim Acosta. This discussion was made available online on Thursday.
In his statement, Trump communicated via press secretary Caroline Leavitt during a Thursday press briefing.
“We’ll determine our course of action in the next fortnight,” the president remarked.
In response, critics of Trump revived a meme related to his tendency to set two-week deadlines, jokingly dubbed “Trump always kicked out chickens,” highlighting his frequent reliance on these timeframes, regardless of their significance.
“Sure, we can make light of it. You know, everything’s two weeks, four weeks, or just never, but when it comes to military conflicts in the Middle East, I think it’s better to take our time rather than rush in,” Himes noted.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet on Friday to deliberate on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, which has now entered its second week.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, had discussions with the UK’s Foreign Secretary on Thursday regarding the possibility of finding a diplomatic solution.
Himes conveyed to Acosta that he still feels there’s a chance to resolve the situation before US military involvement intensifies.
“My advice to the President is that you currently hold a significant leverage point. The administration has caused a great deal of concern, and they likely worry about the response from the Iranian people,” Himes remarked.
