Transcript: Sen. Tim Kaine on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Jan. 11, 2026

President's Military Action in Iran Would Be a "Massive Mistake"

Senator Tim Kaine warned that U.S. military action in Iran would be a "massive mistake," citing the potential for giving the Iranian regime an opportunity to blame the United States for its own failures. Kaine pointed out that the Iranian regime has been focused on fomenting terrorism and aggression abroad, rather than addressing the needs of its own citizens.

In response to a question about covert U.S. support for protesters in Syria, Kaine suggested using sanctions as an alternative to military action. He noted that the Caesar sanctions imposed by the Obama administration had a real effect on the Syrian economy, and that reducing those sanctions has helped to promote stability in the country.

Kaine also expressed support for a procedural vote he led with five Republican senators to restrict the president's actions before new military action in Venezuela. He argued that the Trump administration's decision to launch covert operations in Venezuela was an overreach of executive power, and that Congress should have the opportunity to debate and approve any further action.

Regarding President Trump's comments on Greenland, Kaine stated that the United States would not take "the hard way" approach, which he interpreted as a veiled threat of military force. He expressed confidence that Congress would stop the president from taking such actions, citing the need for bipartisan support to maintain stability and unity in the region.

Overall, Kaine's comments suggest that he is opposed to any form of U.S. military action against Iran or Venezuela without broad bipartisan support and approval from Congress.
 
๐Ÿค” so it's another "expert" like Senator Tim Kaine who thinks they know what's best for the whole world ๐ŸŒŽ meanwhile, have you seen the state of healthcare in the US lately? ๐Ÿš‘๐Ÿ’‰ let's focus on our own backyard instead of trying to tell everyone else how to live their lives ๐Ÿ˜‚
 
I'm so worried about what could happen if we go to war with Iran or Venezuela! I was talking to my friends in AP gov class and they're all saying how this would affect our school's budget, like, how are we supposed to pay for this? We need to focus on issues closer to home, like our school board elections coming up. It's like, priorities, you know? And what about the students who would be affected by war? They deserve a safe and stable learning environment, not some politicians' personal agendas. I'm just hoping that lawmakers like Senator Kaine will use their voices for good, not just for show ๐Ÿ™
 
I'm getting so fed up with these politicians and their soundbites ๐Ÿ™„. Can't they just have a real conversation for once? It's always the same old rhetoric, "massive mistake", "veiled threat"... like anyone really knows what's going on behind closed doors.

And don't even get me started on the use of Twitter to make grand statements about foreign policy ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ. I mean, come on, if you're gonna go to war, at least have the decency to have a proper debate about it in Congress.

Kaine's just trying to do his job, but does anyone really care what he has to say? The system is broken, and we're all just spectators watching from our armchairs ๐Ÿ“บ.
 
๐Ÿค” The Data Dumper ๐Ÿ“Š

I'm reading this article about Senator Tim Kaine's warning on President Trump's military actions in Iran and I gotta say, the numbers are screaming at me... ๐Ÿšจ According to a recent Gallup poll, 63% of Americans believe that military action against Iran would be "very bad" for the country. And let's not forget the economic implications - did you know that a study by the Council on Foreign Relations found that every $1 billion spent on military intervention in the Middle East returns only about $4 in economic benefits? ๐Ÿค‘

Meanwhile, Senator Kaine's stance on sanctions is making sense to me... ๐Ÿ“ˆ In 2022, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Russia worth over $100 billion, and it led to a significant decline in Russian economic growth. If we can achieve similar results with Iran, why not?

Now, let's look at the numbers behind President Trump's Greenland comments... ๐ŸŒ According to a Pew Research Center survey, 70% of Americans believe that the U.S. should prioritize diplomatic efforts over military force in international conflicts. And if we consider the economic impact of climate change, which is expected to cost the world up to $54 trillion by 2100, shouldn't we be investing in sustainable solutions rather than veiled threats? ๐ŸŒŽ
 
I'm worried about our leaders right now ๐Ÿคฏ. If they go ahead with a military action in Iran, it's gonna be super messy and might even make things worse for everyone involved. I mean, we all know how the Iranians feel about us already - why would we want to just escalate things? ๐Ÿ˜’

And can you believe Trump talking about Greenland like that? ๐ŸŒŽ It's just so unpredictable. One minute he's making threats, the next he's just saying some random stuff. I don't think Congress is gonna let him take matters into his own hands though - they're all over it and would never let that happen ๐Ÿ˜‚.

The thing is, we need to find a way to deal with these countries without just resorting to violence or threats. Sanctions can work, but only if everyone's on the same page. And Kaine seems like someone who gets it - he's all about finding a middle ground and working together ๐Ÿค.
 
Can you imagine if we went down this road again? Military action would just fuel more terrorism and instability in the Middle East. We need to think about the real issues here, not just blaming it on someone else. And what's with the constant saber-rattling over Venezuela? It's all just a distraction from the real problems we have at home. I'm glad Kaine is speaking out against this, he's one of the few who seems to be thinking clearly about these issues ๐Ÿค”
 
Back
Top