Top NatSec Staffer to Both Clinton and Biden Praises ‘Bold’ Trump Iran Strike – ‘Harris Would Not Have Had The Courage’
Former top Democratic staffer and self-identified Kamala Harris voter Jamie Metzl on Sunday shook things up on social media when he posted his support and praised the strike on Iran, lauding President Donald Trump for being bold and saying that Harris wouldn’t have had “the courage” to do the same.
Metzl, who served on the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton and as deputy staff director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee under then-Chairman Joe Biden, has a long and well-established record of support for and work with Democrats. He has also worked as a United Nations human rights officer and is a World Health Organization advisory committee member. He’s also a vocal critic of Trump.
But on the U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear sites, the longtime Democrat was clear about where he stands in a lengthy message posted on X about the strikes, across three posts.
He began by saying “The world will be a better place if Iran’s nuclear bomb development capacities have been degraded or destroyed.”
He then added, “I am not a fan of many of Donald Trump‘s actions, but I will speak openly and honestly when he takes bold steps defending America’s interests, as he did tonight.”
And finally, he went all in with a long message establishing his bona fides as a Democrat before offering his praise and explanation in full.
“I served on the National Security Council under President Clinton. I was Joe Biden’s Deputy Staff Director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,” he wrote. “I voted for Kamala Harris and have been a vocal critic of many dangerous and undemocratic actions taken by President Trump.”
“But,” he said. “I’m not a blind tribalist and am perfectly comfortable praising President Trump for bold and courageous actions in support of America’s core national interests, as he took last night.”
Metzl wrote: “Iran has been at war with the United States for 46 years. Its regime has murdered thousands of American citizens. Its slogan “death to America“ was not window dressing but core ideology. It was racing toward a nuclear weapon with every intention of using it to threaten America, our allies, and the Middle East region as a whole.”
“No actions like this come without risks,” he continued. “I imagine the story will get more complicated over time, but that’s why these types of decisions are complicated.”
He concluded by bringing up the former Vice President and candidate, for whom he voted, comparing how he felt she would’ve handled things to how Trump handled them.
“Although I believe electing Kamala Harris would have been better for our democracy, society, and economy, as well as for helping the most vulnerable people in the United States and around the world, I also believe VP Harris would not have had the courage or fortitude to take such an essential step as the president took last night,” he said.
