President Donald Trump's order for airstrikes on Yemen Houthi targets is sending a strong message that goes far beyond them, former Rep. Pete King said on Newsmax Sunday.
"I fully support them; I endorse them," the New York Republican told Newsmax's "Wake Up America Weekend." "Basically, Russia is supplying the Houthis to take these shots at us … it's important that they be crushed at the start."
Trump is also sending a message to Iran as well as Russia, he said.
"It's important for the United States to let the world know that it's not going to tolerate any of these cheap attacks on us," he said, adding that because the attacks weren't carried out by Russia, China, or Iran directly, they were being let go.
"The Houthis, they are subsidized by Russia," said King. "That's who's behind this."
Former Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., also on Sunday's program, added that the airstrikes also send the message that there is not a "negligent, lazy, and timid administration in the White House anymore."
"I think the word got out internationally that Joe Biden was not paying attention," said Kingston. "The Houthi rebels have been harassing American ships in the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, disrupting commerce, keeping our ships away from there and other ships from other nationalities, and we've been talking and talking and talking it to death."
King, meanwhile, acknowledged there is always a concern that matters could escalate in the Middle East.
"But if we don't act now, we're going to see a greater conflagration later on," he said. "So I would rather take the action now while we do hold the upper hand and use it and not let this get out of control, not let it spread, not let Russia think that it can act with impunity."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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