University of Michigan professor Juan Cole referred to President Donald Trump as “a mad bomber in the White House” on Wednesday at an anti-war protest on campus. The professor added that President Trump, along with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, is “making war” on the “climate.”
“We have a mad bomber in the White House,” proclaimed professor Juan Cole at a Wednesday protest at the University of Michigan, entitled, “No War On Iran.”
“We have somebody who’s erratic,” he continued. “We have a secretary of defense who’s a lobbyist for the arms industry. We have a secretary of state who is a Kansas oilman.”
The professor went on to claim that President Trump, Secretary of Defense Esper, and Secretary of State Pompeo are “making war,” not just on the Middle East, but “climate” as well.
“The three of them together are making war on our climate and on the Middle East,” he insisted.
“The Trump Administration did not strike Iran for the first time this week. The Trump Administration has had Iran under the severest economic blockade in modern history,” continued Cole, expressing his dismay over the president having “put so many sanctions on Iran.”
“Trump has put a pillow over the baby of Iran and [unintelligible] to strangle the lives of people,” said Cole. “Iran was on the verge of being welcomed into the world community, it was going to buy Boeing jets.”
The professor went on to falsely claim that the United States is at war with Iran, adding, “[the United States] is trying to destroy people’s lives,” and referring to the killing of Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani was “an assassination.”
“We have a rogue government,” said Cole of the Trump Administration.
The protest was co-sponsored by a laundry list of student groups, some of which included the Huron Valley Democratic Socialists of America, Arab Student Association, Huron Valley Democratic Socialists of America, College Democrats at the University of Michigan, and Collective Against White Supremacy.
Professor Cole was introduced to the stage by a student, who said that the difference between now and the early 2000’s is that “the American people have learned their lesson” with regards to conflict in the Middle East.
“What we are here for is to put an end to U.S. imperialism,” said the student of the protest, “and to build an anti-war movement in this country that is strong enough, such that the United States cannot go around doing things like what it just did.”
The student added that even though President Trump “sounds like he doesn’t want to go to war,” the anti-war protest is still relevant because the president said, “sanctions were going to go way up.”
“So, just wanted to clarify — for anyone who’s confused, this is still highly relevant,” she insisted.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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