President Trump used the launch of his “Evangelicals For Trump” coalition Friday night as an opportunity to once again brag about the strike he authorized that killed top Iranian military official Qasem Soleimani.
During the coalition launch at the El Rey Jesus Church in Miami Friday, Trump touted how thanks to the “flawless strike” that killed Soleimani, his “bloody rampage is now forever gone.”
“Soleimani has been killed and his bloody rampage is now forever gone,” Trump said, while also mentioning how Soleimani had been plotting attacks and arguing that they’ve now been “stopped for good.”
Trump then repeated his insistence from a press conference at Mar-a-Lago earlier Friday that his administration does not seek war, nation building or regime change.
“We are a peace-loving nation, and my administration remains firmly committed to establishing peace and harmony among the nations in the world. We do not seek war. We do not seek nation building. We do not seek regime change.
Trump added that “Americans have many blessings,” but “perhaps the greatest among them is the blessing of being protected by the most exceptional and virtuous
military on the face of God’s Earth.”
Earlier Friday, Trump attempted to justify his decision to authorize the strike that killed Soleimani by arguing that the move was intended “to stop a war.” His move was polarizing enough to draw ire from both congressional Democrats and Fox News hosts the day after the strike.
Trump’s Friday speech to evangelicals comes after an op-ed in Christianity Today last month that called for the President’s removal from office sparked outrage from top evangelicals and known Trump supporters such as Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. and former Rep. Michele Bachmann.
Watch Trump’s remarks below:
Trump boasts Soleimani strike at El Rey Jesus Church in Miami pic.twitter.com/wW1PNMJSQS
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) January 4, 2020
