Buttigieg: No one believes Trump considered all ‘consequences’ of strike

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg said Sunday that President Trump has not considered the consequences of the U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani. 

The former South Bend, Ind., mayor and Afghanistan War veteran said the decision may not have been the wisest move on behalf of the U.S. 

“Soleimani was a bad figure, he has American blood on his hands, none of us should shed a tear for his death” Buttigieg said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“But just because he deserved it doesn’t mean it was the right strategic move,” he added. 

Buttigieg said the Trump administration and president have “failed to demonstrate” why the strike was the right decision. 

“When you’re dealing with the Middle East, you need to think about the next and the next move. This is not checkers,” Buttigieg said. 

“I don’t think any of us believe the president, or the people around him, … is going through all the consequences,” he added.

Buttigieg also said the Trump administration still needs to answer questions about how the decision was reached, on whether there was an alternative option, and whether the president “thought through the consequences for American lives.” 

Buttigieg also said that as president, he would “never hesitate to use force if it was necessary.” 

“The question is, was it necessary,” and was it the better choice, he added. 

The administration has defended the decision. U.S. officials said that there was evidence Soleimani was planning attacks that would put American lives in danger. 

Trump said that the decision was made to “stop a war” not to start one.