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A Republican congressman and close ally of President Donald Trump dismissed the deaths of U.S. military members in the Iran war as “the nature of warfare.”
Rep. Carlos Giménez, who sits on the House’s Armed Services Committee, made the remark while discussing the escalating conflict with CNN Monday.
“You know my condolences go out to the families of our servicemen and women that are killed – have been killed – in Iran. That’s the nature of warfare; we will have some casualties,” Giménez told “The Lead.”
“The Iranians have suffered much, much worse than us…. That’s not a condolence to the Gold Star families of these young Americans and loss of life. But it is war. We are waging war, and we’re waging it for a reason so Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon,” he added.
Three U.S. service members were killed over the weekend, bringing the death toll of Americans killed in the Iran war to 17 people.
Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, and First Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, were killed in an Iranian attack in Jordan. Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, was killed during a controlled disposal of an Iranian drone in Iraq.
Giménez’s comments were swiftly rebuked. Phil Ehr, a retired U.S. Navy Commander and Democratic candidate running against Giménez in Florida, called the lawmaker’s comments “callous.”
“This man talks about casualties and the nature of warfare in a callous, holier than thou manner. He never served,” Ehr wrote on X.
Ehr added: “His broken logic starts from a false presumption of legitimacy. Widows, orphaned children, generations of their families and patriotic Americans will rain shame on all those responsible for starting this war.”
One X user accused Giménez of thinking the U.S. military is “expendable.”
The Independent has asked Giménez’s office for comment.
In addition to the 17 service members killed, more than 400 have been injured, according to the Defense Casualty Analysis System. That number could rise as the U.S. and Iran exchange strikes in the region. Trump has threatened retribution in Iran for every American soldier who is killed.
While most U.S. voters do not support Trump’s war with Iran, Giménez has defended the conflict as necessary to ensure Iran does not have a nuclear weapon.
Even after Trump threatened to wipe out the Iranian civilization in April, Giménez encouraged the president to “finish the job” and said he supports “what the president is doing.”
In an Oval Office press conference Tuesday, Trump referred to the attack that killed two American soldiers in Jordan, saying Iran “did slip something through in Jordan.”
“If we had other operators, you know, it would’ve not happened, unfortunately, because we have the best equipment in the world,” Trump said of the attack.
Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will attend the dignified transfer of soldiers at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware – though it’s unclear when that will take place.
Hegseth referred to the fallen soldiers as “incredible Americans committed to the cause.”
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