Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) said Tuesday that Americans are justified in approaching the ongoing U.S. military operation in Iran with skepticism, citing limited information provided to members of Congress and the public as lawmakers await further briefings on the situation.
Davidson made the remarks during an appearance on CNN News Central, where anchor Boris Sanchez pressed the congressman about President Donald Trump’s claim earlier in the day that Iran was preparing to launch attacks against Israel and U.S. allies and assets in the Gulf.
Sanchez began the interview by asking what kind of evidence Davidson would need to see in order to believe the president’s assessment that Iran was poised to strike.
“Well, you know, I’ve asked for a classified briefing for, you know, well over a week at this point, and I haven’t seen that kind of information yet,” Davidson replied. “And frankly, only a handful of members of Congress have so far.”
The Ohio Republican said he expects to learn more during an upcoming classified briefing and indicated he is approaching the information with an open mind.
“So I’m looking forward to today’s briefing and going into it with an open mind,” Davidson said. “You know, we know President Trump has been reluctant to embrace war. He campaigned on avoiding wars and has a great track record of promoting peace. So he found something compelling and I look forward to seeing the intel.”
Sanchez responded by pointing to publicly available assessments from government agencies that appear to contradict the idea of an imminent threat.
The anchor noted that the Pentagon had assessed Iran was unlikely to attack unless it was struck first. He also referenced an assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency that Iran remained about a decade away from developing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of targeting the U.S. mainland.
Additionally, Sanchez cited statements from the International Atomic Energy Agency indicating there was no imminent threat of Iran developing a nuclear weapon. He also noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously said Tehran would be at least a year away from reaching the point where its nuclear program would be immune from conventional military strikes.
“So why was this an imminent preemptive strike if there was no clear threat of a risk to Americans?” Sanchez asked.
Davidson acknowledged that the lack of publicly available evidence has fueled skepticism among many Americans, particularly after decades of overseas conflicts.
“Well, look, I think the public’s right to be skeptical,” Davidson said.
He argued that part of the reason President Trump’s message about avoiding new wars resonated with voters is because many Americans have grown weary of long-running military engagements.
“I mean, you look at war-weary people who’ve seen just endless wars really in this century so far,” Davidson said. “Post 9/11, the U.S. has kind of been in a continual state of war.”
The congressman also referenced earlier conflicts where U.S. military power was used in attempts to bring about political change abroad.
He pointed to U.S. involvement in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s, including Serbia and Kosovo, where air power was used with the hope of achieving regime change.
“What we ultimately found, even in a smaller place like that, is to change power, you needed to put people on the ground,” Davidson said.
Because of that long history of military engagements, Davidson said many Americans have become increasingly skeptical of new conflicts.
“I think a lot of the country is sort of tired of the endless wars framework,” he said.
Davidson also noted that calls for military action against Iran have come from some political figures for years.
“Lindsey Graham, I don’t think, has ever found a war he doesn’t like,” Davidson said, adding that it is not surprising to hear the South Carolina senator support attacking Iran.
At the same time, Davidson said it is notable to see President Trump backing military action given his previous criticism of foreign conflicts.
“It is kind of breaking news to see President Trump say, ‘Hey, I think this is the kind of war we need to engage in,’” Davidson said, noting that Trump previously criticized former President Barack Obama over the possibility of conflict with Iran.
For now, Davidson said lawmakers are waiting for more information before deciding how to proceed.
Congress is expected to vote later this week on matters related to the conflict, though Davidson acknowledged that Congress has sometimes refrained from formally voting on wars in the past.
He pointed to the Korean War as an example, noting that while it was widely considered a war, Congress never formally voted to declare it as such.
“I think that’s the reality,” Davidson said. “We’re in a de facto state of war with Iran right now.”
The question, he added, is what role Congress will ultimately choose to play moving forward.
[READ MORE: Trump Says U.S. Can Sustain Wars ‘Forever’ With Strong Munitions Stockpiles as Iran Conflict Escalates]
