lpetrich
Contributor
GOP congressman walks back remarks on using nuclear weapons in Gaza | The Hill
Rep. Tim Walberg on X: "My full statement on reporting of my comments on Gaza and Russia: (pic link)" / XRep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) clarified Sunday that his comments that Gaza should be “like Hiroshima and Nagasaki” were not literal, backing off remarks that many interpreted to be endorsing the use of nuclear weapons.
Walberg made the comments at a town hall meeting with constituents last week, with a video going viral in recent days. He said that the U.S. “shouldn’t be spending a dime on humanitarian aid” in the Israel-Hamas war and that Gaza “should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Get it over quick. The same should be in Ukraine.”
As a child who grew up in the Cold War Era, the last thing I'd advocate for would be the use of nuclear weapons. In a shortened clip, I used a metaphor to convey the need for both Israel and Ukraine to win their wars as swiftly as possible, without putting American troops in harm's way. My reasoning was the exact opposite of what is being reported: the quicker these wars end, the fewer innocent lives will be caught in the crossfire. The sooner Hamas and Russia surrender, the easier it will be to move forward. The use of this metaphor, along with the removal of context, distorted my message, but I fully stand by these beliefs and stand by our allies.