Prominent Trump critics laud president's decision to strike Iran nuclear sites

Some salient critics of President Donald Trump praised the president's telephone to onslaught Iran's atomic sites implicit the weekend, specified arsenic erstwhile National Security Adviser John Bolton, who told CNN connected Sunday that it was "better precocious than never."

"Well, fto maine accidental this unequivocally: I deliberation President Trump made the close determination for America to attack Iran’s atomic weapons program. And I deliberation we’re connected the verge of perchance seeing authorities alteration successful Iran arsenic portion of that. I deliberation this is simply a immense alteration successful the Middle East. It was a decisive action. It was the close happening to do. I thought idiosyncratic should bash it for a agelong time. But amended precocious than never," Bolton told CNN's Kasie Hunt connected Sunday during "State of the Union."

Trump revealed connected Saturday that the U.S. had launched a palmy onslaught against Iran's atomic facilities. The president has called for bid successful the portion and has said Iran's atomic sites were "totally obliterated."

"Well, helium said up to 2 weeks," Bolton told Hunt, who asked him if the two-week timeline initially fixed by the White House was a ruse. "And I thought that was a pretty, beauteous wide giveaway. As I say, I would person done this a agelong clip ago. We‘ll spot what happens now. This is lone time one, and I deliberation however how Iran responds to this, if they‘re foolish capable to onslaught American positions, American unit successful the Middle East oregon anyplace astir the world. What happened overnight would conscionable look similar the beginning.

 Former National Security Adviser John Bolton speaks astatine a sheet hosted by the National Council of Resistance of Iran – U.S. Representative Office (NCRI-US) astatine the Willard InterContinental Hotel connected August 17, 2022 successful Washington, DC.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Former GOP lawmaker Adam Kinzinger said Trump made the close telephone successful a station connected societal media, arguing it was a "good telephone by the president."

Kinzinger notably spoke astatine the DNC and endorsed erstwhile Vice President Kamala Harris successful 2024.

New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, a fierce Trump critic, wrote helium 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. 

"This is simply a perilous moment, but acting decisively to halt Iran’s march to a weaponry is the close decision. Iran is weakened. Now is the time," helium wrote.

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In a follow-up post, French added, "there should beryllium a legislature ballot nether the War Powers Resolution. This is simply a sedate moment, and Congress has the authorization to state warfare and to authorize semipermanent subject action. Congress needs to workout its authority."

Democratic and a fewer GOP lawmakers person criticized Trump's decision to weaponry Iran's atomic sites, arsenic Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., called the determination unconstitutional.

"Trump struck Iran without immoderate authorization of Congress. We request to instantly instrumentality to DC and ballot connected @RepThomasMassie and my War Powers Resolution to forestall America from being dragged into different endless Middle East war," Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., posted connected societal media.  

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a predominant professional of the president, told ABC's Jon Karl during "This Week" connected Sunday that helium wasn't amazed by Trump's decision. 

Chris Christie, erstwhile politician of New Jersey, said the president "deserves an tremendous magnitude of credit." (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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"I deliberation the president deserves an tremendous magnitude of credit. This is against-type for him. I’m definite it was a hard decision. But what I deliberation his investigation was helium cannot unrecorded with a atomic limb Iran. And Israel did each the dense lifting, they wiped retired galore of their aerial defenses, truly severely damaged them successful what they’ve been doing implicit the past week and a fractional oregon two, and the president saw an accidental that helium mightiness ne'er person again," Christie said. 

"And I deliberation we spot the mode we dealt with North Korea, that we missed opportunities to instrumentality them retired earlier they became a atomic power. I deliberation Donald Trump looked astatine this and the president said, ‘I’m not going to fto the aforesaid happening hap successful Iran, successful what is an adjacent bigger pulverization keg successful the world,’" helium continued. 

The Atlantic's Eliot Cohen wrote connected Sunday that Trump "got this 1 right."

"The president has made galore mediocre decisions, but successful striking Iran, helium acted wherever his predecessors had failed," helium wrote.

US Vice President JD Vance, from left, US President Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, and Pete Hegseth, US 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)

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Multiple retired generals person said Trump's determination was the close 1 successful interviews connected CNN and MSNBC. 

"I think, from a strictly subject perspective, this was a decisive, bold, consequential attack. Iran was successful a weakened condition. The U.S. had the exertion to transportation retired what is astir apt a semipermanent interaction connected Iran's atomic program," Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey told MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace connected Saturday.

Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt told CNN's Anderson Cooper connected Saturday that helium was impressed by the U.S. strikes against Iran's atomic sites, praising Trump's usage of "deception and trickery."