U.S. House member clarifies comments over handling Gaza Strip "like Nagasaki and Hiroshima"

(WDAY Radio)  --  Representative Tim Walberg is trying to clarify his recent controversial statement on the use of nuclear weapons in the Gaza Strip.  

In a video circulating on the internet the Michigan Republican can be heard telling constituents "We shouldn't be spending a dime on humanitarian aid. It should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima, get it over quick."

In a statement on X Sunday, the congressman said he was just using a "metaphor" to convey the need for Israel to win the war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas as swiftly as possible.  

"As a child who grew up in the Cold War Era, the last thing I'd advocate for would be the use of nuclear weapons. In a shortened clip, I used a metaphor to convey the need for both Israel and Ukraine to win their wars as swiftly as possible, without putting American troops in harms way. My reasoning was the exact opposite of what is being reported: the quicker these wars end, the fewer innocent lives will be caught in the crossfire. 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, distorted my message, but I fully stand by these beliefs and stand by our allies." said Rep. Walberg in his full statement on X.