Republican Rep. James Comer has admitted that deploying American troops to Iran may be “unavoidable in a situation like this.”
The MAGA lawmaker from Kentucky told NewsNation he does not want to send troops to Iran, but suggested he would accept that dramatic move should President Donald Trump order it.
“If there are boots on the ground, I hope they’re not on the ground any longer than the boots on the ground were in Venezuela,” he said, referring to the successful abduction of Nicolás Maduro, in which no American lives were lost. “But I think that that’s something the president knows that members of Congress certainly hope doesn’t happen.”
He continued, “But sometimes that’s unavoidable in a situation like this.”
Trump, 79, has refused to rule out deploying ground forces in Iran. Like the president, Comer, 53, never served in the military. He has been a politician since his election to the Kentucky State House of Representatives in 2000.
Comer said he had no issue with Trump striking Iran without congressional approval. He added that he does not view Saturday’s strikes as war and would consider it one only if boots hit the ground in the country of 92 million.
The lawmaker appeared to be toeing the line between siding with Trump, who has become obsessed with forcing regime change in 2026, and voicing a stance that is more aligned with the feelings of the majority of Americans. A January poll by Quinnipac found seven out of 10 voters oppose strikes in Iran.
“I support what the president’s done thus far, but certainly I’m watching this very closely, because I’m not a fan of regime change and I’m not a fan of putting boots on the ground in the Middle East,” Comer said.
Six American service members were killed in retaliatory strikes by Iran. Four of those killed in Kuwait were identified by the Department of Defense on Wednesday: Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth raged at the media on Wednesday for reporting on the deaths of American soldiers, claiming that it was an attempt to make Trump look bad, despite their deaths being directly tied to the president’s orders to strike Iran.
“This is what the fake news misses,” Hegseth whined. “We’ve taken control of Iran’s airspace and waterways without boots on the ground. But when a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it’s front-page news.”
The servicemembers killed in Kuwait were killed by an Iranian drone.
“I get it—the press only wants to make the president look bad,” Hegseth said.
Trump’s strikes have spiked gas prices across the country, with GasBuddy reporting that red states in the heartland are suffering the largest price increases.
Republicans are not a united front in support of Trump’s new war.
Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie has called the strikes a distraction from the Epstein files. Former Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene, now out of Congress, lashed out that the U.S. was embroiled in “another f—ing war” and asked the country to have a “serious conversation” about “who in the hell are these decisions being made for.”
Republican Sen. Rand Paul, of Kentucky, was also left scratching his head on the White House’s constantly changing rationale for the strikes.
“As with all war, my first and purest instinct is wish Americans soldiers safety and success in their mission. But my oath of office is to the Constitution, so with studied care, I must oppose another Presidential war.”
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