‘Finish the damn job’: Hagerty tells 'Ruthless Podcast' that Trump will complete Iran mission
Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., said that President Donald Trump is on track to complete his military objectives in the war against Iran, during an interview with the "Ruthless Podcast."
The former U.S. ambassador to Japan during Trump’s first term compared the current situation in the Middle East to President Harry Truman’s firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War.
"I think about Douglas MacArthur in Japan," the senator said in an exclusive "Ruthless" interview released Tuesday morning.
"I was fortunate to live in the same residence he occupied for six years when he was stationed there. He executed the Korean War after the rebuilding of Japan. I often wonder what would have happened if Truman had not fired him, if MacArthur had been allowed to finish the damn job," he added. "We wouldn't be dealing with a lot of the stuff that we're dealing with out there right now. And President Trump is going to finish that damn job."
Hagerty cited divine providence in saving Trump’s life as a guiding force to the administration’s approach to the current war.
"You just brought me back to the Sunday morning after President Trump was shot in Butler, [Pennsylvania]," Hagerty said. "I was on the phone with him for about 20 minutes. I told him, 'You can be the most consequential president we've ever had,' and I think he's taken on that mantle; he realizes, but for the grace of God he wouldn't be here, and he's taking on the tough problems. He's not backing away from anything."
"Ruthless" co-host Josh Holmes shared Hagerty’s concerns about Iran gaining a nuclear weapon.
"I think what I am most gratified by President Trump's decision to do it is he's the first president who decided ‘I'm not gonna leave this to another administration,’" Holmes said. "It's going to get worse. It's going to keep getting worse. You get October 7, you get the full funding of Hamas and Hezbollah. Who knows where it goes from there if they get a nuclear weapon and everything else. We already know their intentions. This is not something to be ignored."
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Hagerty is seeking his first re-election after prevailing in the race for an open seat in 2020. No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate race in Tennessee since Al Gore in 1990.
The interview took place as part of the Ruthless Midterm Interview Series, an ongoing initiative to interview major candidates across the country. The hosts have already interviewed candidates in 17 states, with more scheduled ahead of the November midterms.
The senator noted that the Democratic Party is rapidly headed left, especially on issues like Israel.
"[Senator] Bernie [Sanders (I-Vt.) is] in a position to declare himself the leader of the Democrat Party," Hagerty said. "Certainly in the United States Senate, that's the case. And I don't know who's leading over in the House. If it's not [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez], you can tell me. But I think [House Minority Leader Hakeem] Jeffries doesn't seem to be delivering any leadership either. And if you look in Jeffries' own home state, it's just amazing how the Democrat socialists have taken over now."
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Voters in Tennessee head to the polls for the primaries on Aug. 6. The general election takes place on Nov. 3.