'Real pickle': Ex-GOP rep warns Iran could sink Trump's presidency

President Donald Trump's term in office will be defined — and likely sunk — by a potential decision to invade or bomb Iran, former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) told MSNBC's Alicia Menendez in a panel on Thursday evening.

Trump has reportedly signed off on a potential operation, but has said he will give it two weeks to decide whether to move forward. Reports indicate one reason he's holding off is that he doesn't trust his own military experts about what munitions are sufficient to destroy Iran's underground nuclear facilities. Meanwhile, however, Trump is facing sharp opposition to such an invasion.

"Congressman Dent, it's just not happening among the American people or in Congress, it's happening among MAGA loyalists over what, in fact, is their foreign policy," said anchor Alicia Menendez. "Is the president listening to [pro-invasion] Mark Levin or is he listening to [anti-invasion] Stephen Bannon, given that there is already that fissure, do you see Congressional Republicans stepping up and asserting what we just heard from Lt. Col. McGrath?"

"Well, I do think congressional Republicans will have to speak up," said Dent, a more moderate lawmaker who has become an outspoken critic of Trump. "It's imperative that ... the President of the United States makes a case to the American people about why there should or should not be a military intervention with Iran."

Moreover, he continued, "I think President Trump has got himself in a real pickle here. On the one hand, he's been, you know, complaining for years about Bush-Cheney 'forever wars.' And on the other hand, he was critical of the Obama-Biden diplomatic initiatives with Iran that resulted in the Iran nuclear agreement, which he walked away from. He's looking for a third way. He doesn't know which way to go."

The fact that he keeps publicly talking about "unconditional surrender" and regime change isn't helping matters either, Dent added.

"I'll say this about Bannon and Gabbard and Carlson: they're right about one thing," said Dent. "Iran has a funny way of dominating American presidencies. Look at Jimmy Carter with the hostages. Ronald Reagan, Iran-Contra. George W. Bush had Iran meddling in Iraq, that prolonged or protracted the war there. You know, we can go on and on about Joe Biden, you know, the Iranians were the ones who helped foment the Hamas attack against Israel that dominated a good chunk of the Biden presidency later on. So this is a big decision, and this will dominate his presidency."

"And by the way, Trump's base is going to do whatever they're going to support Trump. I believe that the problem for Trump is going to be the broader electorate, who may have a more nuanced view than his base will," Dent concluded.

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