Retired Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor appealed to history to argue against a “stupid, pointless, unnecessary war with Iran” during a Thursday night appearance on “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
Already heightened tensions with Iran were exacerbated when a surface-to-air missile hit a high-altitude U.S. Navy drone Thursday over the Straight of Hormuz.
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“I don’t want to be paranoid but I have watched this before,” said Fox News host Tucker Carlson as he introduced the topic. “It does seem as if the president is strongly opposed to conflict with Iran. He knows it will define his administration. He knows that it doesn’t serve American interests. But the people who work for him are pushing the United States into a position where war is likely if not inevitable. Am I imagining this?”
“No,” said Macgregor. “I don’t think you are. The president has had his first Vietnam moment. He walked up to the abyss and looked over the edge and said ‘no thank you.’ He followed his instincts, thank goodness, and walked back. He has no interest in going to war, but you are right. He is surrounded by people in the Defense Department, chain of demand, his own national security staff and the State Department who are absolutely committed to finding ways to attack Iran. I think the president understands that an attack on Iran would result in an all-out war.”
Describing the concept of “limited strikes” as “absurd,” Macgregor contended that the Iranians, with nothing to lose, would respond “with everything they have.” (RELATED: Retired Army Colonel Douglas MacGregor: The ‘Future For The Left’ Is ‘Demographic Change’)
He then used examples from history to argue that “wars destroy presidencies.”
Responding from a question from Tucker about sanctions helping, Macgregor argued for a “new approach” that could “deescalate” and “produce a positive outcome.”
Look, this will ruin our economy if we engage Iran in a war. Iran will instantly have support from around the world. They will be the victims of this limited strike that is being discussed. The limited strike idea is sheer insanity. It will provoke a war. Everyone, China, Russia, India, many European states will come to the aid of Iran. We’ll end up with a larger coalition of the willing against us than we have seen in decades. I think the president has figured this out. He’s got good instincts. But he needs to get rid of the war mongers. He needs to throw these geniuses that wanted limited strikes out of the Oval Office.
“Exactly right,” the Fox News host agreed.
“The last thing the America first agenda needs is a stupid pointless, unnecessary war with Iran,” Macgregor concluded. “And he knows that, so he needs to act.
“As much as Bret Stephens and Bill Kristol would welcome that,” Carlson quipped.