Ex-Clinton official applauds Trump’s 'courageous' Iran call, doubts Harris would've had the nerve

A erstwhile Clinton-era National Security Council staffer broke with his enactment and heaped praise connected President Donald Trump's palmy strikes connected Iran over the weekend, portion remarking erstwhile Vice President Kamala Harris would person apt lacked the "courage" to execute specified a ngo if she were commander-in-chief. 

"I americium not a instrumentality of galore of Donald Trump‘s actions, but I volition talk openly and honestly erstwhile helium takes bold steps defending America’s interests, arsenic helium did tonight," Jamie Metzl, laminitis of the planetary societal radical One Shared World, posted to X connected Saturday evening. 

Metzl served connected erstwhile President Bill Clinton's National Security Counci and was erstwhile President Joe Biden's lawman unit manager of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and helium heaped praise connected Trump repeatedly connected X implicit the weekend, portion besides taking a changeable astatine Harris' deficiency of "courage and fortitude." 

"But I’m not a unsighted tribalist and americium perfectly comfy praising President Trump for bold and courageous actions successful enactment of America’s halfway nationalist interests, arsenic helium took past night," Metzl posted to X connected Sunday morning. 

"Although I judge electing Kamala Harris would person been amended for our democracy, society, and economy, arsenic good arsenic for helping the astir susceptible radical successful the United States and astir the world, I besides judge VP Harris would not person had the courageousness oregon fortitude to instrumentality specified an indispensable measurement arsenic the president took past night," helium added. 

PROMINENT TRUMP CRITICS LAUD PRESIDENT'S DECISION TO STRIKE IRAN NUCLEAR SITES

Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Joe Biden during an lawsuit marking the 30th Anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act, successful 2023.  (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Metzl continued successful his X messages that "Iran has been astatine warfare with the United States for 46 years," and was aiming to physique a atomic limb with the volition of wielding it implicit the U.S and its allies. 

TRUMP DECLARES 'VERY SUCCESSFUL ATTACK' ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM AS US FORCES STRIKE 3 KEY SITES

"Iran has been astatine warfare with the United States for 46 years. Its authorities has murdered thousands of American citizens. Its slogan ‘death to America’ was not model dressing but halfway ideology. It was racing toward a atomic limb with each volition of utilizing it to endanger America, our allies, and the Middle East portion arsenic a whole. No actions similar this travel without risks, and I ideate the communicative volition get much analyzable implicit time, but that’s wherefore these types of decisions are complicated," helium wrote. 

Fox News Digital reached retired to Harris' bureau regarding Metzl's post, but did not instantly person a reply.

D Vance, from left, President Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, caput of state, and Pete Hegseth, caput of defense, during an code to the federation successful the East Room of the White House successful Washington, DC, US, connected Saturday, June 21, 2025.  (Carlos Barria/Reuters/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Metzl's comments are among a cacophony of Democratic elected officials and accepted anti-MAGA voices who person travel retired to praise Trump since the palmy onslaught connected Iran, dubbed "Operation Midnight Hammer." 

TRUMP ADDRESSES NATION ON 'SPECTACULAR MILITARY SUCCESS' OF US STRIKES ON IRANIAN NUCLEAR FACILITIES

"The demolition of Iran’s atomic programme is indispensable to eventual bid successful the Middle East. This is not a Democratic oregon Republican contented — dealing with the Iranian menace is cardinal to America’s nationalist security. The satellite is safer due to the fact that of the actions of our brave work members. I’m praying for the information of our work members successful the region," New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer said successful a connection implicit the weekend, for example.

Former VP Kamala Harris, President Donald Trump, and erstwhile President Bill Clinton.  (Getty Images)

"As I’ve agelong maintained, this was the close determination by @POTUS," Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman wrote connected X connected Saturday. "Iran is the world’s starring sponsor of coercion and cannot person atomic capabilities. I’m grateful for and salute the finest subject successful the world." 

While New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, a predominant Trump critic, wrote successful an sentiment portion that Trump made a "courageous and close determination that deserves respect, nary substance however 1 feels astir this president," portion chap Times columnist David French besides said it was the "right decision" connected societal media. 

Other Democrats and predominant Trump critics, specified arsenic New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, person slammed Trump implicit the strikes, arguing they bypassed Congress.

FETTERMAN BACKS TRUMP AFTER IRAN STRIKES: 'THE CORRECT MOVE'

Trump announced the Saturday evening strikes connected Iran successful a Truth Social station that was not preceded by media leaks oregon speculation that strikes were imminent. The unexpected societal media station was followed conscionable hours aboriginal by a little Trump code to the federation portion flanked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. 

 U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (L), accompanied by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine (R), takes a question from a newsman during a quality league astatine the Pentagon connected June 22, 2025 successful Arlington, Virginia. U.S. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

"A abbreviated clip ago, the U.S. subject carried retired monolithic precision strikes connected the 3 cardinal atomic facilities successful the Iranian regime: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan," Trump said from the White House precocious connected Saturday successful an code to the federation regarding the strikes. "Everybody heard those names for years arsenic they built this horribly destructive enterprise. Our nonsubjective was the demolition of Iran's atomic enrichment capacity, and a halt to the atomic menace posed by the world's No. 1 authorities sponsor of terror. Tonight, I tin study to the satellite that the strikes were a spectacular subject success."

The strikes "obliterated" Iranian atomic facilities and backed the federation into a country to marque a bid deal, Trump said. This ngo was besides celebrated by Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine arsenic 1 that was cloaked successful secrecy and intentionally deceptive to confuse the enemy. 

US airstrikes deed galore facilities wrong Iran. (Fox News)

"It progressive misdirection and the highest of operational security. Our B-2s went successful and retired of… these atomic sites, successful and retired and back, without the satellite knowing astatine all," Hegseth said. "In that way, it was historic."

The cognition included the longest B-2 tone bomber ngo since 2001, the second-longest B-2 ngo ever flown and the largest B-2 operational onslaught successful U.S. history, Hegseth and Caine said during the Sunday property conference. 

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Operation Midnight Hammer followed Israel launching preemptive strikes connected Iran connected June 12 aft months of attempted and stalled atomic negotiations and consequent heightened interest that Iran was advancing its atomic program. Netanyahu declared soon afterward that the strikes were indispensable to "roll backmost the Iranian menace to Israel's precise survival."

Fox News Digital's Hannah Panreck contributed to this report.