Michigan Congressman Tim Walberg is facing intense criticism after appearing to suggest the United States should drop a nuclear bomb on Gaza.
In a video Posted on X, formerly Twitter, Walberg can be heard saying: “This should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima. End it quickly.”
Responding to a question about U.S. plans to build a floating pier off the coast of Gaza to deliver aid, Walberg also said the United States “should not spend a dime on humanitarian aid.”
Walberg, a conservative Republican, apparently made the comments at a town hall event earlier this week, and he has since been criticized by his political colleagues.
Michigan Senator Darrin Camilleri written the that Walberg had “endorsed and called for complete genocide in Gaza.”
“This is an absolute disgrace and he must resign,” he wrote.
Walberg said it was a metaphor
Palestinian residents evacuate their homes damaged by Israeli airstrikes on October 10, 2023 in Gaza City, Gaza. Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images
Representative Haley Stevens also asked X to express his opinion on the clip, saying: “Threatening to use, suggesting the use of nuclear weapons, or, God forbid, using nuclear weapons, are unacceptable war tactics in the 21st century.”
Rep. Dan Kildee added that Walberg’s comments were “horrible” and “shocking.”
“It is an indefensible position to oppose humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza while calling for the widespread massacre of the Palestinian people,” he wrote about X.
Walberg has since attempted to clarify his comments, stating in a statement posted on X: “I used a metaphor to express the need for Israel and Ukraine to win their wars as quickly as possible, without putting American troops in danger.”
“The sooner these wars end, the fewer innocent lives will be caught in the crossfire,” he said. “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, has distorted my message, but I fully maintain these beliefs and stand with our allies,” he added.
Before assuming public office, Walberg was a Christian pastor from Michigan and Indiana. His congressional website also states that he defends traditional values in Washington, DC.
The war in Gaza began on October 7 after Hamas militants launched a series of attacks in Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 240 hostages.
Israel responded with relentless airstrikes and a ground invasion of the territory, which have so far led to the deaths of more than 32,000 Palestinians, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said.
Many of the Gaza Strip’s nearly two million residents are now also on the brink of famine, UN officials have warned.
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