Senate Republican's own words hurled back in his face over Trump's Iran goals

CNN host Kasie Hunt threw a GOP senator's words back in his face on Wednesday over President Donald Trump's continuing war in Iran.

Hunt interviewed Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) on her show, "The Arena," about the ongoing war in Iran, which has become a contentious issue for the White House. After two weeks at war, the Trump administration has offered shifting rationales for coordinating a bombing campaign in Iran, and the president's goals for the war seem to be fleeting.

During the interview, Hunt reminded Lankford about what he said when the Trump administration abducted Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro last year. She played a clip of Lankford arguing, "If you break it, you buy it," in reference to the impact of the U.S. regime-change operation.

"Do you think that's true here in Iran? Did we break it, and have we bought it?" Hunt asked Lankford.

"I pray that we have not," Lankford replied.

Trump has said he is deploying thousands of troops to Iran as part of the conflict. He is also considering occupying Kharg Island, which is a key part of the Iranian regime's oil export business.

Trump has also called on other nations to help the U.S. reopen the Hormuz Strait, which Iran has effectively blockaded for American and Israeli ships since the war began. Only Estonia has said it is ready to talk about the effort.