Rep. Pat Harrigan, a Republican representative from North Carolina, stated Wednesday that Democrats have demonstrated a preference for delaying action on Iran’s nuclear ambitions rather than confronting the regime.
The remarks followed testimony by senior national security officials before the Senate Intelligence Committee regarding threats to the homeland during Operation Epic Fury.
Harrigan, a Green Beret combat veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, noted that Democrats’ questioning during the hearing revealed their broader posture toward Iran.
“I think the Democrats are being very clear that they would have rather just continued kicking the can down the road for another 47 years,” he said. Harrigan argued that past administrations failed to address the threat decisively.
The representative praised President Donald Trump’s approach as a necessary shift toward direct action against Iran, which he characterized as a “destabilizing adversary.”
“President Trump just got to the point where he said, ‘You know what? These guys have been a pain in our rear end and a pain in all of our allies’ rear ends for so long,’” Harrigan quoted. He added that Iran “wants chaos instead of commerce.”
Harrigan emphasized that the administration’s strategy reflects urgency in countering Tehran’s influence across the Middle East.
“We just cannot leave this to our kids,” he said. “We have to solve this problem once and for all.”
Harrigan also accused Democrats of opposing Trump reflexively rather than engaging on national security policy substance.
“This is more politics than anything else,” he stated. “Disagreeing with President Trump for the sake of disagreeing with President Trump.”
Additionally, Harrigan warned that threats identified in the intelligence community’s latest assessment extend beyond Iran, including China and vulnerabilities at home.
He sharply criticized Democrats over what he described as a failure to adequately fund and support homeland security efforts.
“The threats are bigger than they ever have been,” Harrigan said. “And the Democrats are fundamentally failing to protect American citizens. Period. End of story.”
