Former President Donald Trump strongly criticized President Joe Biden’s recent decision to launch strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been targeting American ships in the Red Sea, as reported by The Messenger on Friday, January 12, 2024.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed his concerns, stating, “So, let me get this straight. We’re dropping bombs all over the Middle East, AGAIN (where I defeated ISIS!), and our Secretary of Defence, who just went missing for five days, is running the war from his laptop in a hospital room.”
The Houthi rebels have been launching missiles and drones carrying bombs at vessels in international shipping lanes passing through the Red Sea. These attacks have compelled ships to take an expensive and time-consuming alternate route to avoid potential danger.
On Thursday, the United States, along with the United Kingdom and support from several other nations, initiated strikes against the Houthis. Biden explained the rationale behind the strikes, emphasizing that they were a direct response to “unprecedented Houthi attacks,” including “the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history.” President Biden asserted that the United States is prepared to take additional measures to “protect our people and the free flow of international commerce.”
Trump, however, took the opportunity to broaden his critique, remarking in the post, “Now we have wars in Ukraine, Israel, and Yemen, but no ‘war’ on our Southern Border.” It’s important to note that the United States has not engaged in direct military action in Ukraine or Israel and has not officially declared war in Yemen.
The former president, currently the front runner for the Republican nomination, attended the closing arguments for the trial, which will now go to the judge for the penalty phase, in which New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking $370 million in damages.
The situation in Yemen has escalated due to the Houthi attacks, prompting international intervention. The United States and its allies have justified their actions as necessary to safeguard global security and trade routes. However, Trump’s comments suggest skepticism about the current administration’s approach to handling conflicts in the Middle East.
