'Stop this nonsense': GOP Rep. Doug Collins slammed for claim that Democrats are 'in love with terrorists'

WASHINGTON – Rep. Doug Collins drew sharp criticism after he accused Democrats of being "in love with terrorists" and mourning the death of an Iranian general more than empathizing with the families of fallen U.S. service members because they questioned President Donald Trump's handling of the crisis with Iran.

"I understand politics and sharp rhetoric. I worked in the Senate for four years," former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in response. "But Collins declaring Democrats 'are in love with terrorists' is an abomination, a step beyond. Pathetic."

The Georgia Republican made the comment Wednesday night during a discussion with Fox Business host Lou Dobbs about escalating tensions with Iran and Democrats' proposed legislation to require Trump to get congressional approval before taking further military action against Iran.

Democrats proposed the measure after Trump approved the drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani last week in Baghdad.

Iran: Pelosi sets vote on measure to limit Trump's war powers, citing 'urgent' concerns

"How venal, how vapid can one party become?" asked Dobbs, a staunch Trump supporter, after mentioning the measure, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said would come to the floor for a vote Thursday.

"Nancy Pelosi does it again, and her Democrats fall right in line. One, they are in love with terrorists. They mourn Soleimani more than they mourn our Gold Star families who are the ones who suffered under Soleimani," Collins said. He also accused Pelosi of hypocrisy for not taking a similar stand against the Obama administration's airstrikes in Libya in 2011.

"I happen to be a Democrat and I prosecuted terrorists," Bharara tweeted. "I don’t know what Doug Collins has ever done to for America except preen and sound stupid."

"Disgusting," tweeted Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia. "I became accustomed to addressing disinformation Putin propagated about Americans. I never expected that elected Members of Congress would engage in the same, making grotesque false statements about fellow Americans. Stop this nonsense."

"Doug Collins should have no role in public life. He is a snake," said Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

"Register to vote Doug Collins out," tweeted filmmaker Judd Apatow.

Collins' remark echoed a similarly derided one from Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, who also accused Democrats of "mourning" Soleimani's death because they questioned whether killing him was worth the potential blowback from Iran.

Other Trump allies have accused Democrats of being sympathetic to Iran because they opposed the decision to kill Soleimani.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway accused Democrats who questioned the intelligence behind the decision of having "sympathy for Soleimani," Politico reported.

On Wednesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters that those who favor the Democrats' war powers resolution are "empowering the enemy."

And Rep. John Rutherford called Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and other Democrats who said the administration did not have evidence to back its claim that Soleimani posed an imminent threat "Ayatollah sypmathizers."

More: Nikki Haley slammed for claim that Democrats are 'only ones that are mourning the loss of Soleimani'

People also took issue with Collins' claim that Democrats don't care about Gold Star families, a term for the relatives of those who died while serving in the U.S. military. Many pointed to Trump's past criticism of Khizr and Ghazala Khan, a Gold Family whose son, Humayun, was killed in Iraq in 2004.

They also referred to Trump's dispute with Gold Star widow Myeshia Johnson over his condolence call to her after Sgt. David Johnson was killed in Niger, and Trump's attacks on the late Sen. John McCain, a former prisoner of war he criticized even after his death.

Collins made a similar comment about the Gold Star families during a CNBC interview Wednesday morning in a clip he shared on his Twitter account.

"There is one politician I know of who mocked and disparaged, by name and with malice aforethought, a gold star family. His name is Donald Trump," wrote conservative commentator and Trump critic Bill Kristol.

"Poor man must have suffered a head injury that has impaired his memory of the past 3 years," tweeted David Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush.

Here are some other reactions to Collins' comment:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Doug Collins slammed for claim Democrats are 'in love with terrorists'