US Sen. Ted Budd, R-NC, voiced strong support Thursday for President Donald Trump’s approach toward Iran during a virtual press conference. He argued that the regime’s decades-long history of terrorism and pursuit of nuclear weapons justify the administration’s actions.
During the press conference, Budd framed Iran as a longstanding global security threat. He pointed to what he described as more than 50 years of Iranian-backed terrorism, the regime’s repression of its own people, and its continued pursuit of a nuclear weapons program.
Budd described regime change in Iran and the elimination of its nuclear weapons capability as necessary long-term objectives to maintain peace and stability in the region.
“For decades, Iran and its terror proxies have repeatedly targeted American service-members and stoked violence and unrest in the region,” Budd said in a social media post. “President Trump knows well that the American people do not favor prolonged conflict, but there is also little doubt that Iran’s reckless ambition to obtain nuclear weapons and long range missiles represents a grave threat to our safety and security. A nuclear Iran has always been an unacceptable outcome.”
He said these factors justify the president’s actions toward Iran.
Budd said he supports maintaining a “maximum pressure” strategy against the Iranian government. He described the administration’s actions as Trump having drawn a “solid red line in launching Operation Epic Fury.”
The North Carolina senator also defended the president’s authority to take military action, arguing Trump has operated within his powers as commander in chief under Article II.
Budd voted against Senate Joint Resolution 59, which would have invoked the War Powers Resolution of 1973. The Joint resolution sought to direct the removal of US armed forces from hostilities against Iran that were not explicitly authorized by Congress.
“The decision now is in the hands of Iran,” Budd said, indicating the regime will determine whether tensions escalate further.
Addressing questions about the possibility of additional troop deployments, including potential involvement from North Carolina-based forces, Budd said Americans have little appetite for another prolonged conflict involving large-scale ground troop deployments. He went as far as to say that the “very last thing people want is a forever war.”
Instead, he said the administration has a range of options available, adding that “all options remain on the table.”
Budd’s remarks come as officials in North Carolina are already responding to potential ripple effects from the conflict. US Northern Command has ordered heightened security at military installations nationwide, including Fort Bragg, Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station New River, and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has voiced concerns about the conflict and its potential impact on the state’s large military presence.
Stein noted that North Carolina has the fourth-largest active-duty military population in the country, with more than 100,000 service members, and said the state’s installations play a critical role in US military operations.
“We just know that given the role that the North Carolina military installations play, there are North Carolina folks who are involved, and we just pray for them,” Stein told the Carolina Journal after a Council of State meeting. “Any time American soldiers’ lives are at risk, we all have to be very concerned, and my heart goes out to the families who have already lost folks. And we worry that there will be more.”
Stein also said the federal government must clearly articulate the objectives of any US military involvement.
“If we are in a foreign war in the Middle East, there needs to be a very clear understanding about why we are there, what we are seeking to achieve, how we will know when we’ve achieved it, and when we will be done,” Stein said.