EXCLUSIVE – Former Navy Seal Tim Sheehy, who is running as a Republican candidate to unseat Democrat Sen. Jon Tester in Montana, has voiced his concerns about President Biden’s handling of foreign policy. Sheehy specifically criticized the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Iranian prisoner swap, and what he considers a “dangerous” military focus.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Sheehy expressed his belief that the military’s current trajectory under Biden involves emphasizing social issues over combat readiness. He stressed the importance of redirecting the military’s focus towards combat lethality.
Biden recently approved a $6 billion prisoner swap with Iran, exchanging five American prisoners for the release of Iranian funds. This decision received pushback from several members of Congress, including Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who argued that it put a “$1.2-billion bounty on the head of every American hostage.”
Sheehy joined in criticizing this major decision.
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Republican Montana Senate candidate and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy. (Tim Sheehy For Montana)
“It’s shameful. Bottom line,” Sheehy, who has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, South America, and the Pacific region, said regarding Biden’s latest decision. “After our disastrous Afghan withdrawal in Kabul, which was another shameful foreign policy decision by Blinken and Biden, we shouldn’t be surprised by this.
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According to Sheehy, the swap and the access provided to Iranian funds only empower one of America’s most persistent and aggressive adversaries. He sees it as a disgrace to all the American troops, intelligence professionals, and service members who have dedicated themselves to containing the Iranian threat. He views it as a recurring, unfortunate event.
The GOP candidate’s opinion of Biden’s foreign policy decisions remains “very low” due to the lack of accountability for the Afghanistan withdrawal, which led to the loss of 13 U.S. service members.
Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) await a flight to Kabul Afghanistan, at Al Udeied Air Base, Qatar Tuesday, August 17, 2021.
As the military continues to prioritize social initiatives, such as using federal funds for gender reassignment surgeries for transgender veterans and providing free abortions to service members, Sheehy proposed a “simple” solution to refocus the service.
“The United States military’s job is very simple: close with and kill the enemy. Its mission is to advance American interests through military force when necessary,” explained Sheehy, a recipient of the Purple Heart.
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“Now, we don’t want to resort to military force unless absolutely necessary. We also don’t want to deploy our young soldiers overseas unless there is a compelling reason to do so. However, it is essential to continually equip and align our military with its mission, which involves closing with and neutralizing the enemy while advancing America’s interests overseas. Focusing on social experimentation and initiatives at the expense of combat readiness is highly dangerous,” Sheehy warned.
The White House, National Security Council (NSC), and State Department have not yet responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Sheehy’s criticism.
