Adam Schiff says he still hasn't gotten an 'adequate answer' about why Trump authorized the Soleimani strike now
House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) says he's still waiting on a satisfying answer about why President Trump determined now was the right time to authorize a drone strike killing Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
After receiving a briefing Friday, Schiff told CNN's Manu Raju there is one thing he is "not yet satisfied on": why the Trump administration chose to act against Soleimani now.
"Soleimani has been a risk to the United States for a long time. Soleimani has been engaged in deadly and malevolent action throughout the region for a long time. The question is why the administration chose this moment ... when other administrations, both parties, decided that would escalate the risks, not reduce them. I've yet to get an adequate answer to that question."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Schiff also told CNN Friday that he isn't "fully satisfied that the [Trump] administration has a strategy" or "a broader coherent plan," and this "greatly concerns me."
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that the strike against Soleimani was necessary to disrupt an "imminent attack" in the region. Asked after his briefing about the nature of this imminent threat, Schiff said he could not provide specifics. Trump spoke not long after Schiff's comments and said that the strike against Soleimani should have "been done long ago." Brendan Morrow
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Judge orders release of Ghislaine Maxwell recordsSpeed Read The grand jury records from the 2019 prosecution of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be made public
-
Miami elects first Democratic mayor in 28 yearsSpeed Read Eileen Higgins, Miami’s first woman mayor, focused on affordability and Trump’s immigration crackdown in her campaign
-
Ex-FBI agents sue Patel over protest firingspeed read The former FBI agents were fired for kneeling during a 2020 racial justice protest for ‘apolitical tactical reasons’
-
Trump unveils $12B bailout for tariff-hit farmersSpeed Read The president continues to insist that his tariff policy is working
-
Trump’s Comey case dealt new setbackspeed read A federal judge ruled that key evidence could not be used in an effort to reindict former FBI Director James Comey
-
Moscow cheers Trump’s new ‘America First’ strategyspeed read The president’s national security strategy seeks ‘strategic stability’ with Russia
-
Trump tightens restrictions for work visasSpeed Read The length of work permits for asylum seekers and refugees has been shortened from five years to 18 months
-
Supreme Court revives Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read Texas Republicans can use the congressional map they approved in August at President Donald Trump’s behest



