Pence: ‘Qasem Soleimani Was Preparing an Imminent Attack Against American Forces’

Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday shared some insight into the briefing the day before on the Iran airstrikes which killed Iran Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

Pence applauded President Donald Trump’s decision to order the strikes, telling NBC “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie that Soleimani “was preparing an imminent attack against American forces.”

“[S]enator Mike Lee, a Republican, left that briefing and said it was demeaning and insulting, he said it was the worst briefing he ever heard and that …  he didn’t get the information he needed. Why not in a classified setting can our briefers from this administration share what it was, this threat that you talk about, in a classified setting?” Guthrie asked.

Pence replied, “Well, some of that has to do with what’s called sources and methods, Savannah, that … if we were to share all of the intelligence, and in fact, some of the most compelling evidence that Qasem Soleimani was preparing an imminent attack against American forces and American personnel also represents some of the most sensitive intelligence that we have. It could compromise those sources and methods.”

“I can assure your viewers that those of us that have seen all the evidence, that saw the evidence in realtime know that President Trump made the right decision to take Qasem Soleimani off the battlefield,” he added. “America is safer, the world is safer. Now, even after the Iranian response, no American casualties and Iran is standing down.”

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent