A Republican congressman from Texas said Monday that President Barack Obama's decision to close 22 U.S. embassies and consulates because of credible terrorist threats makes the country look "like a bunch of cowards."
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), who spent the afternoon as a guest host for the Sean Hannity Show, said that while "we don't want any more people to die," the government has failed to learn lessons from last year's attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
"If you will bother to find out exactly what went wrong, why you didn't have security where you needed it, where you need security to shore up, what you can do to make sure that doesn't happen again, you don't have to close your embassies like a bunch of cowards that go running away," Gohmert said.
Gohmert drew parallels to the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, characterizing then-President Jimmy Carter's negotiations and rescue attempt as inadequate. Gohmert described the failed rescue, which killed eight U.S. servicemen and one Iranian civilian, as, “Please, please, will you please give us our people back."
Gohmert also addressed current U.S. tensions with Iran, saying he is tired of using sanctions as a diplomatic tool.
"I voted for the tougher sanctions, but I am sick of it," Gohmert said. "I think it sends a terrible message, and I know ... my friends that they believe with their heart that it's the right thing to do, but it's allowing the centrifuges to continue to spin, and Iranian people are the ones that are suffering."
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