Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) has a stark warning for President Donald Trump.
While announcing his retirement from Congress on Sunday, McCaul condemned Russia’s incursion into Poland’s airspace last week and claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “manipulating” Trump.
Polish authorities said they recovered parts of at least 19 Russian drones on Wednesday. Trump appeared to downplay the development, which has raised concerns about a potential escalation of the war.
“It could’ve been a mistake. Could’ve been a mistake,” Trump told reporters. “But regardless, I’m not happy about anything having to do with that whole situation. But hopefully it’s going to come to an end.”
McCaul, a former chair of the House Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees, warned of the Russian incursion on ABC News on Sunday: “We’ve never seen anything like this in recent times. And so, what I’m concerned about is that the escalation here and the temperature rising, we got to be very careful not to be on the precipice of a World War III.”
Meanwhile, Romania became the second NATO country on Sunday to report a Russian drone incursion in its airspace.
McCaul, who has served 11 terms, has long urged Trump to take a tougher stance on Russia over its invasion. During the interview on “This Week,” he argued that the president seems to be “waking up” to the idea that Putin is “not negotiating in good faith,” as he invited the Russian leader to Alaska last month to discuss an end to the war.
“With all deference to the president, I don’t think that was a mistake. I think Putin is testing the resolve of NATO,” McCaul said.
“The more Putin irritates the president, I think the better we are in terms of defending NATO and Ukraine,” he added later.
His comments come as Trump announced on Saturday that he was “ready to do major Sanctions on Russia,” depending on whether all NATO nations stop buying Russian oil.
“As you know, NATO’S commitment to WIN has been far less than 100%, and the purchase of Russian Oil, by some, has been shocking! It greatly weakens your negotiating position, and bargaining power, over Russia,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Anyway, I am ready to ‘go’ when you are. Just say when?”
During his appearance, McCaul said he will finish the remainder of his term.
“It’s been an honor to serve for over two decades in the Congress,” McCaul said. “I’m looking for a new challenge in the same space that would be national security and foreign policy, but just in a different realm.”
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