Jamie Metzl @ JamieMetzl
I served on the National Security Council under President Clinton. I was Joe Biden’s Deputy Staff Director of the Senate foreign Relations Committee. I voted for Kamala Harris and have been a vocal critic of many dangerous and undemocratic actions taken by President Trump.
But I’m not a blind tribalist and am perfectly comfortable praising President Trump for bold and courageous actions in support of America’s core national interests, as he took last night.
Iran has been at war with the United States for 46 years. Its regime has murdered thousands of American citizens. Its slogan “death to America“ was not window dressing but core ideology. It was racing toward a nuclear weapon with every intention of using it to threaten America, our allies, and the Middle East region as a whole.
No actions like this come without risks, and I imagine the story will get more complicated over time, but that’s why these types of decisions are complicated.
Although I believe electing Kamala Harris would have been better for our democracy, society, and economy, as well as for helping the most vulnerable people in the United States and around the world, I also believe VP Harris would not have had the courage or fortitude to take such an essential step as the president took last night.
9:02 AM · Jun 22, 2025