BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — President Donald Trump addressed the nation regarding the war in Iran, projecting confidence and stating the United States is close to completing its mission.
"Because of the actions we have taken, we are on the cusp of ending Iran's sinister threat to America," Trump said.
Trump pointed to significant damage to Iran's military capabilities, noting that core strategic objectives are nearing completion.
"Their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their missiles are just about used up or beaten," Trump said.
"Iran has been essentially decimated. The hard part is done, so it should be easy," Trump said.
I spoke with local political party members on both sides of the aisle to get their take on the president's message.
Some Republicans say the president made a clear case for the war and its timeline. Linda Willis, president of Bakersfield Republican Women, Federated, said she believes the administration is on track based on the outlined objectives, which include targeting Iran's military and weapons program.
"They, the regime, specifically went after their Middle Eastern neighbors. And I think he explained well why we got into the situation we’re in right now, and talked about how he sees an end to it all happening," Willis said.
"If in his mind it’s two to three weeks based on what they know they still have to do to be able to prevent Iran from ever having nuclear weapons or at least like he was talking about for the next 20 years or so, I think yeah, I believe that he’s going to wrap it up in that time period," Willis said.
Local Democrats question whether the president's claims match what is actually happening on the ground. Dave Wescott, a Marine veteran with the Kern County Democratic Party, said the justification for the war raises concerns.
"Well then, if that’s true, then open up the Strait of Hormuz, right? If the Navy is completely gone and decimated, and the air force is completely gone, then what’s this two-to-three-week deal? What is this idea that he is still negotiating with them?" Wescott said.
"You tear up the Iran nuclear deal, and then you say, ‘well, they’re building up nuclear weapons’, and then you go after them. And it’s not just them. I’m not defending Iran from any kind of moral standpoint; we have no business over there. We have no reason to send any kind of troops over there," Wescott said.
Wescott also pointed to the human and economic costs of the conflict, including troop losses and rising gas prices.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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