Trump defends Soleimani airstrike during rally

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

President Trump used part of his Tuesday night campaign rally in Milwaukee to defend his decision to authorize an airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

Trump claimed Soleimani was "the world's No. 1 terrorist," dubbed him the "king of roadside bombs," and said "great percentages of people don't have legs right now and arms because of this son of a bitch."

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran were already high, and Soleimani's death only heightened matters, with Iran responding by launching ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops. Trump has alleged that Soleimani was plotting "imminent attacks" against the United States, but has offered no evidence. He said Democrats should "be outraged by Soleimani's evil crimes, not the decision to end his wretched life," and predicted "they're gonna start a new investigation. Was the attack imminent?"

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.