It's not every day that Sens. Tom Cotton and Elizabeth Warren agree on an issue. But when President Donald Trump made the stunning decision to revoke security protections for three former senior officials — despite clear threats to their lives from Iran — even some of Trump's staunchest Republican allies sounded the alarm.
Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a longtime Trump loyalist, urged the president to "revisit this" on Fox Business, warning that former national security adviser John Bolton, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and retired Gen. Mark Milley remain in real danger.
In January 2020, a Trump-ordered drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Iran has since vowed revenge. Cotton told Fox News former officials "could be targeted by Iranian assassins in public, where innocent bystanders could be injured."
Warren, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, didn't mince words either. In a letter to newly confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, she accused Trump of "abusing [his] power to weaponize the government against the president's political enemies" and warned his actions "could pave the way for Iran's revenge."
It's no coincidence that among those losing security details are Bolton, who wrote a damning book about Trump; Milley, who vehemently opposed Trump's candidacy for president; and Pompeo, who fell out of favor with Trump as well.
This is not just wrong, it's dangerous for the country. Trump is putting lives at risk, and not just those of his former officials — innocent civilians could potentially get caught in the crossfire. Meanwhile, officials could be reluctant to give Trump honest assessments of issues in the future. As Cotton himself admitted, this debacle could have a "chilling effect" on the people advising Trump right now, making them think twice before giving him the hard but important truths he doesn't want to hear.
Read more exclusive insights from Jen Psaki here. And tune into "Inside with Jen Psaki" Mondays at 8 p.m. ET, and Sundays at 12 p.m. ET on MSNBC.
