A GOP lawmaker said he is ashamed that a fellow lawmaker is a Republican after he used Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “talking points” to dismiss President Bashar al-Assad’s latest actions in the Syrian Civil War.
Rep. Thomas Massie “literally took the talking points out of Putin’s mouth and out of the regime’s mouth and recited them to an American audience,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger told CNN’s Kate Bolduan Thursday on “At This Hour.” “That made me sick. Frankly, I was ashamed for him being a Republican saying something like that.”
More than 70 people — including many children — were killed Tuesday in a chemical weapons attack, one of the worst the country has seen during its civil war. US officials have blamed Assad’s regime for the attack.
But Massie expressed doubt Wednesday that Syria’s leader was indeed behind the attack.
“Frankly, I don’t think Assad would have done that,” Massie told Bolduan on “At This Hour.” “It does not serve his interests.”
But American intelligence said the attacks were not carried out by terrorists or Russia, Kinzinger said.
“It is obvious that ISIS did not steal these chemical weapons and steal an aircraft and drop it. Neither did the rebels. This is Assad,” the Illinois Republican said. “He has a history of doing this. He has no compassion for his people.”
Kinzinger said earlier Wednesday that he was “ashamed” by America’s “inaction” toward the Syrian Civil War — and that Americans need to get past their “fear of action.”
“I’m ashamed of our government’s actions so far and inaction,” the Air Force veteran told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota Wednesday on “New Day.” “I wish I had the ability to move forces to do what needs to be done.”
“We need more people to pay attention and get past our fear of action because of what we felt the wars have been like in the past,” he added. “We’re not talking about another Iraq … but a terrible humanitarian crisis.”
Massie said US intervention could “end up making the situation worse,” but Kinzinger said the war will only get worse if the Trump administration does not more aggressively fight for Assad’s removal.
“I know it is frightening for Americans because we have been involved in the Middle East for a long time,” Kinzinger said. “This is a limited objective with the purpose of forcing the parties back to the table because it’s only going to get worse.”
Trump previously argued against removing Assad from power, but said the attack on a rebel-held town in Syria’s Idlib province was a “heinous” act that “crossed a lot of lines for me.”
“These heinous actions by the Assad regime cannot be tolerated. The United States stands with our allies across the globe to condemn this horrific attack and all other horrific attacks, for that matter,” Trump said Wednesday in the Rose Garden alongside Jordan’s King Abdullah.