An Iranian General, Qassem Soleimani, was recently killed in a U.S. drone strike. This has sparked greater tensions in the middle east. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a recent report by ABC News, even cried along with thousands that crowded the street during the generals funeral.
“Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel.” Said Donald Trump. The attack was in retaliation to an American contractor being killed by an Iranian-backed militia one week earlier. Many others in the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill also stated that Qassem was a threat that needed to be neutralized. Many believe this to be a way to deter attacks and not provoke them.
Democratic candidates on the other hand are backing the Anti-war train like Pete Buttigieg and Tulsi Gabbard. Pete having a military background stated that there are unforeseen repercussions that could occur. Bernie sanders voted in 2002 against the war in Iraq which he used as a log on the political flame.
“This is a dangerous escalation that brings [The United States] closer to another disastrous war in the middle east,” Said Bernie Sanders. “ [This will] cost trillions more dollars, and lead to even more death[s],”
While some Democrats are condemning the assassination, others are backing the assassination such as Joe Biden, Former VP to Obama and current leader of the democratic party. Joe agrees that Qassem needed to be “Brought to justice for his crimes,” but also agrees that this is a dangerous situation we have put ourselves in. We have yet to see the approval ratings for each candidate following these events.
What This could Mean for the Future Presidency
How this will affect the polls has yet to be seen, understanding that it was in retaliation to an American contractor being murdered helps, but Qassem was Iran’s top general, and killing him is as close to a declaration of war as any. Given the reports of Pew, it is safe to assume that Americans don’t want another Desert Storm on their hands.
Image sourced from https://www.pewresearch.org/
If there is a war that starts in Iran, Trump may have a good chance to win. Many presidents like Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt and even Abraham Lincoln were re-elected during wartime. Though in recent history this has yet to hold up since during the Vietnam war and the War on Terror we have seen many different presidents.
The match has been lit, we will wait with baited breath to see if Trump burns his hand or lights the fire for re-election.
