'The View' hosts ask Rahm Emanuel if Trump started Iran war to distract from Epstein
Co-hosts of "The View" mused during a conversation with former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel that the war in Iran was launched to distract from the Epstein files.
Emanuel, believed to be a potential presidential contender for the Democratic nomination, spoke about the ongoing war in Iran during his appearance on "The View." He warned that ultimately, the great responsibility of any leader in the White House is making hard choices between "bad and worse," arguing that President Donald Trump has very clearly opted for the latter.
"We have a president who makes a decision – every president before him has rejected this idea because it doesn't work out," he said. "If Iran does not come forward, and we don't have a plan to open up the Strait of Hormuz, he will probably, for leverage purposes put our young men and women at risk."
"We know he's incompetent. I think that's a given. Why do you think he went in there?" co-host Joy Behar asked. "What is that this might be some other reason why he did this?"
"Because we stopped talking about the Epstein files," guest host Whitney Cummings suggested. "It worked perfectly."
"Do you agree with that?" Behar asked, "Because I agree with that."
"He could have given a different speech about degrading the nuclear capacity, the missile delivery, the terrorist organizations and Iran's disruption. But once he jumped the tracks into the political regime change, et cetera, first of all, you're not going to do that from the air. It's never been done in the war," Emanuel replied.
Emanuel went on to argue that after Trump’s success in Venezuela and potential plans in Cuba, the president looked at a dynamic victory in Iran as his "road to Mount Rushmore."
Behar repeated her assertion that the Iran war is being used as a distraction.
"But it also keeps people off of the economy, it keeps people off the Epstein files," Behar said as co-hosts agreed. Yet, I think all we're talking about is Iran, Iran, Iran now."
ROGAN SAYS VOTERS FEEL 'BETRAYED' BY TRUMP'S IRAN CAMPAIGN AFTER HE PLEDGED 'NO MORE WARS' FOR YEARS
Emanuel went on to joke that it is not breaking news to anyone that Trump is something of a narcissist.
He went on to suggest that a major problem for U.S. presidents in the White House on a daily basis is that they walk past artwork every day of great and historic American presidents of the past, thinking of themselves as their latest successor.
The best way to help presidents, he said, would be to, "Take all those down and put Tyler, Buchanan, Pierce, all the bad guys, because by the time they get to the Oval Office, their head is exploding about themselves."
"You know what? To govern is to choose," Emanuel concluded. "He made a bad choice."
The White House responded to Emanuel's comments in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"Rahm Emanuel cheered on Barack Hussein Obama as he entered into the disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal which enriched the terrorist Iranian regime and enabled its malign behavior. Past Presidents like Obama talked about the threat posed by Iran for 47 years, but only President Trump had the courage to take action – now, Iran’s ballistic missile capacity, naval capabilities, ability to arm and fund proxies, and dreams of possessing a nuclear weapon are degrading more by the day," a White House spokesperson said.