‘Not Funny’: Ranking Armed Services Dem Ro Khanna Blasts Trump for ‘Joking’ About ‘Regime Change’ After Iran Strike

California Democrat and ranking member of the Armed Services Committee Rep. Ro Khanna told CNN on Sunday that he’s “worried” about American troops and interests in the Middle East after the U.S. attack on Iranian nuke sites on Saturday, and blasted President Donald Trump for his “regime change” post on social media.

The strike on three Iranian targets was revealed by on Truth Social Saturday with no prior announcement or indications, and no leaks due to superb operational security. On Sunday, he posted on Truth Social that “It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???”

The strike against the development of nuclear weapons by the world’s biggest and most prolific state sponsor of terror has caused anger among many Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who wasted no time calling for impeachment almost immediately.

Among Republican critics, Rep. Thomas Massie stood out for calling Trump’s decision to attack “unconstitutional” and was targeted by Trump in a furious Truth Social post — not to mention by a new Trump Super PAC.

Khanna, who is co-sponsoring a War Powers Resolution with Massie, joined CNN’s Erin Burnett Sunday evening for CNN Newsroom to talk about the potential negative consequences for American troops and citizens.

BURNETT: Congressman Khanna, as a member of the Armed Services Committee, when you think about the 40,000 U.S. Troops in the Persian Gulf, and of course more have been put in there in recent days with these carrier strike groups, how worried are you about their safety?

KHANNA: I’m worried and I support the president now in terms of deploying to do everything we can to keep our troops safe. I mean, they are at risk. The problem is that this is the unintended consequences of striking Iran. It always seems triumphant when we do these things the day after. We talk about the damage we’ve done. Same thing we talked about deposing Saddam Hussein. The problem all the unintended consequences that the American people bear for the months, years, and sometimes decades afterwards. And I am concerned not just about the security of the troops. I’m concerned about our foreign embassies. I’m concern about possible counterterrorism in the region. I’m concerned that this is putting the Arab allies that could have been more aligned with Israel, Saudi, Egypt, Jordan, now condemning the United States and Israel, or the populations at least condemning them, and that we’ve created a mess.

BURNETT: So, what do you think happens from here? Is there such a… At this point, are we literally in a situation where it’s just as the U.S. Tries to assess what damage was really done to those sites, right? That’s one thing. But essentially just waiting? The ball is in Iran’s court?

KHANNA: We need to de-escalate, we need to make it clear to Iran that the worst thing they can do is to hit any American asset or American troop. I mean, they will have unanimous condemnation by Congress if they dare to take that step. But we need also to pass Thomas Massie and my War Powers Resolution on Monday so that we… Make a clear signal that we don’t want a war. I mean, just while I’ve been waiting for your program, Donald Trump is tweeting out that he may, he’s joking around about regime change. That is not funny. That is a enormous, costly endeavor. And so we need to pass a War Powers Resolution in Congress, preventing an escalation.

Watch the clip above via CNN.