After Iran admitted to accidentally shooting down a Ukranian passenger jet on its way out of Tehran, some Iranians turned on their own government – with the full support of Donald Trump.
Over the weekend, protestors reportedly chanted,
“They are lying that our enemy is America, our enemy is right here” and called for the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down.
Meanwhile, President Trump tweeted in support of the protests, warning Iranian leaders that “the World is watching.”
Not everyone blames Iran, though.
While Trump was basking in his new role as protector of the Iranian people, the CEO of Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods, Michael McCain, fired off a series of accusatory tweets aimed at the US president.
On Monday morning, McCain said Donald Trump was ultimately to blame for the tragedy. He said Trump has destroyed world accomplishments and escalated tension in the region.
McCain argued that Trump’s main motivation for the airstrike that killed Qassem Soleimani was political— to take the heat off himself as his impeachment proceedings carry on.
McCain isn’t alone in speculating that the airstrike was ordered in vain. The Wall Street Journal reported that “associates” of the president and his security team said Trump admitted his upcoming impeachment trial played a role in his decision to order the airstrikes.
Mr. Trump, after the strike, told associates he was under pressure to deal with Gen. Soleimani from GOP senators he views as important supporters in his coming impeachment trial in the Senate, associates said.
On top of criticism for the airstrikes, Trump is also taking heat for threatening to violate international humanitarian law.
To scare Iran away from retaliating, he threatened to attack Iranian cultural sites, something that the international community’s accepted rules of engagement might label a war crime .
He also noted on Twitter that his tweets would serve as official notification of strikes, a snub to his duty to advise Congress before taking military action.
Trump’s behavior in the aftermath of the airstrikes has drawn a lot of criticism. But it’s worth noting that his bravado and impossibly cavalier attitude toward the situation in the Middle East has indeed redirected attention away from his impeachment.
Maybe even by design.
Although threatening to commit war crimes isn’t great for his image, it’s easier to explain away than some of the details from his impeachment case.