Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin (who served alongside U.S. military in Iraq) of Michigan joins us to unpack the events that unfolded in Iran over the weekend, where we go from here. This conversation was recorded Monday morning, before Iran retaliated by launching a missile attack at a U.S. military base in Qatar, a story we are closely watching as it develops.
Sen. Slotkin, who served three tours in Iraq, worked for the CIA and also in national security roles under two presidents, released this statement in response to U.S. strikes in Iran over the weekend, saying:
“I expect a full, classified brief on the strikes in Iran, and the strategy and force protection plans, as soon as possible. In the meantime, tonight I’m focused on the safety of the over 40,000 U.S. forces in the Middle East, and their loved ones back home, concerned about retaliation and what comes next.
“While it’s too early to know the results, a successful strike by our capable military wasn’t the primary question.
“The real question is: what happens the day after? A strike can have major repercussions for safety and stability across the region. As someone who served in Iraq and saw up close the loss of blood and treasure over 20 years, I don’t want to be embroiled in another drawn out conflict, and neither do the American people.
“This is exactly why our founders built a role for Congress on issues of war and peace — to ensure questions of real consequence are answered before American men and women are engaged in war.”
We also chatted about Sen. Slotkin’s ideas for the future of the Democratic Party and her recent spicy exchange with Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth. Plus, a little love for Detroit and Minnesota.
Sen. Slotkin will join the Center for American Progress June 26 at 12:00 p.m. EDT for a live chat about a new vision for the Democratic Party to fight back.
Meanwhile, as of 2:52 p.m. eastern Monday, President Trump’s latest post on Truth Social was this:
No mention of Iranian missile attacks on Al Udeid U.S. military base in Qatar. The Qatari Defense Ministry said air defenses successfully intercepted a missile attack targeting the base and condemned the attack. ABC News reports the base was evacuated earlier.
Within two hours of the post about “fake news,” the president posted this:
He followed up with another seven minutes later that simply read, “CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT’S TIME FOR PEACE!”
In the early evening hours, the president went back to Truth Social to announce both Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire.
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