Anthony DiLorenzo backs Iran war but not ‘boots on the ground’ | CloseUp
CARE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PUSH FOR GREATER OVERSIGHT OF THIS SPENDING. GOOD MORNING. I’M ADAM SEXTON. WE’RE READY FOR A SPRING THAW HERE ON CLOSE UP. AND SO ARE THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR STATEWIDE OFFICE. WITH LESS THAN THREE MONTHS NOW UNTIL FILING AND LESS THAN SIX MONTHS TO THE STATE PRIMARY AMONG REPUBLICANS IN THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, ANTHONY DILORENZO IS LOOKING, ACTING AND BEING TREATED LIKE THE GOP FRONTRUNNER THESE DAYS. AND HE’S OUR GUEST THIS MORNING ON CLOSE-UP. MR. DILORENZO, THANKS FOR BEING HERE. GREAT TO BE BACK. THANK YOU. SO LET’S START WITH THE BIG NEWS GOING ON THE WAR IN IRAQ. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE FOR AMERICA HERE THAT CAN GET US OUT OF THIS WAR AT SOME POINT? BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT WE WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR BRAVE SOLDIERS OVER THERE. AND MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE FAMILIES OF THE FALLEN, THE. I BELIEVE THE OBJECTIVE THERE IS TO PROHIBIT THAT REGIME FROM GETTING A NUCLEAR WEAPON, AND I SUPPORT THAT STRATEGY. ALTHOUGH LAST YEAR THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BOMBED THEM AND SAID THAT WE REALLY SET BACK THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM. THE WORD OBLITERATED, I THINK, WAS USED. SO WHY GO BACK FOR MORE? APPARENTLY, THE JOB WASN’T DONE. I DO NOT WANT TO SEE BOOTS ON THE ON THE GROUND IN IRAN. I’D LIKE THIS TO BE OVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I’M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT IT’S HAVING ON GRANITE STATERS FUEL COSTS, SPECIFICALLY. IT’S A TOUGH TIME AS IT IS, AND WE NEED TO END THIS CONFLICT QUICKLY AND ACCOMPLISH ACCOMPLISH THE GOAL. AND I ALSO DON’T WANT TO SEE REGIME BUILDING OR NATION BUILDING. I JUST WANT TO GET THE JOB DONE AND GET HOME. GIVEN THAT AND YOUR POSITION ON THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE’S A TALK OF A $200 BILLION SUPPLEMENTAL BILL TO FUND ONGOING CONFLICT, CONFLICT IN IRAN. AND AS YOU SAID, PEOPLE WANT TO SUPPORT THE TROOPS, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THIS THING WRAPPED UP AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. IF YOU DID HAVE A VOTE IN CONGRESS RIGHT NOW, HOW WOULD YOU VOTE ON THAT $200 BILLION. WOULD YOU WANT TO CONTINUE THE FUNDING THIS WAR. IF YOU WANTED TO STOP I WOULD SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT AT THIS STAGE. I WOULD LOOK AT THIS. IF WE’RE STILL THERE IN SIX MONTHS I’D BE LOOKING AT IT DIFFERENTLY. AND OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE A LOT MORE INFORMATION AS WELL. BUT RIGHT NOW I SUPPORT THE OBJECTIVE. I HAVE YOUNG KIDS, YOU HAVE KIDS, AND I DON’T WANT TO SEE ANY YOUNG PERSON DIE IN A WAR, BUT I ALSO DON’T WANT MY CHILDREN GROWING UP IN A WORLD THAT IRAN HAS A NUCLEAR WEAPON. SO IT’S A IT’S A TOUGH SITUATION. ACCORDING TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, RUSSIA HAS BEEN EXPANDING ITS INTELLIGENCE SHARING EFFORTS AND MILITARY COOPERATION WITH IRAN, PROVIDING SATELLITE IMAGERY, IMPROVED DRONE TECHNOLOGY, POTENTIALLY AIDING IRAN IN STRIKING U.S. TARGETS HERE. WHAT IS IT AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO THIS, DO YOU THINK, AS FAR AS RUSSIA, I MEAN, WE’VE WE’VE TRIED SANCTIONS. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WE’VE JUST BECAUSE OF THE OIL SITUATION AND WE’VE JUST TAKEN SOME SANCTIONS, SANCTIONS OFF OF RUSSIA, ALLOWING THEM TO SELL OIL. I DON’T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO TO RUSSIA. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU, THOUGH, TO EASE UP ON THEM? AT THE SAME TIME THAT THEY’RE POTENTIALLY HELPING IRAN KILL OUR TROOPS? IT RUBS ME THE WRONG WAY. IT DOES. IT MAKES SENSE TO ME. I MEAN, PRICE IS IS IMPACTED BY SUPPLY AND DEMAND. SO WE NEED TO BRING DOWN THE PRICE OF FUEL. AND SO THE PRESIDENT’S ALLOWING MORE SUPPLY TO COME TO THE MARKET. BUT AGAIN, I’D LIKE TO SEE THIS END QUICKLY AND GET BACK TO NORMAL. AND PRESIDENT TRUMP RAN IN PART ON SAYING NO MORE FOREIGN WARS. WHAT’S GOING ON NOW SEEMS TO BE A DEPARTURE FROM THAT. BUT ANY PRESIDENT CAN GET DIFFERENT INFORMATION AND CHANGE COURSE AS THEY GO. THAT BEING SAID, DO YOU THINK THE PRESIDENT OWES A BETTER EXPLANATION TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE OF WHAT’S GOING ON HERE, AND HOW HE’S GOING TO BRING THIS TO AN END? I DON’T KNOW THAT HE OWES THEM A BETTER EXPLANATION. I MEAN, I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND WHY HE’S THERE. TO ME, IT’S OBVIOUS THAT THIS REGIME IS A DANGEROUS REGIME, AND HAVING A NUCLEAR WEAPON IN THEIR HANDS IS, IS UNACCEPTABLE. WE CAN’T ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. SO I GET IT. BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO SEE THIS THING END. I WANT TO GET BACK FOCUSED TO THE TO THE ISSUES THAT MATTER THE MOST TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, WHICH IS THE ISSUES SURROUNDING AFFORDABILITY. RIGHT. AND THAT’S BEEN YOUR BIG THEME HERE ON THE CAMPAIGN. AND OBVIOUSLY THE WAR REALLY COMPLICATES THAT A LITTLE BIT. HOW DO YOU TALK TO SOMEONE WHO COMES UP TO YOU IN THE SUPERMARKET AND SAYS, GOSH, YOU KNOW, I’M SEEING THIS WAR HERE. I’M SEEING THE PRICES GO UP. I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO GET THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THIS. YEAH, THAT’S A GOOD POINT. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I’D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW WE GOT HERE, BECAUSE WHEN THE PRESIDENT LEFT OFFICE THE FIRST TIME, INFLATION WAS AT 1.4%, OKAY. WHEN HE CAME BACK, WE WERE STRUGGLING WITH DOUBLE DIGIT INFLATION. SO WE ARE IMPACTED CURRENTLY BY THE POOR MONETARY POLICIES OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. AND I THINK THE PRESIDENT HAS DONE A GOOD JOB ADDRESSING THAT. FOR INSTANCE, WAGE GROWTH HAS GROWN FASTER THAN INFLATION. THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. INFLATION IS COMING DOWN. AND I WOULD SAY IS IN CHECK. SO I BELIEVE THE PRESIDENT’S POLICIES HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE. BUT I THINK THERE’S MORE TO DO. WE NEED. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE AN INTEREST RATE CUT. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE ECONOMY PERFORM A LITTLE BIT BETTER. SO THOSE ARE THE AREAS I’D LIKE TO SEE IMPACTED. AND OBVIOUSLY THIS WAR IS IMPACTING ENERGY PRICES AND VOLATILITY THERE AS WELL. BUT MOVING FORWARD, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO BRING DOWN THOSE ENERGY PRICES FOR THE AVERAGE AMERICAN? I MEAN, THAT THE SOLUTION TO THE ENERGY CRISIS, SPECIFICALLY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, IS VERY SIMPLE. IF WE WERE ALLOWED TO HAVE A PIPELINE FROM PENNSYLVANIA TO GET NATURAL GAS TO NEW HAMPSHIRE, THE SITUATION WOULD BE SOLVED. UNFORTUNATELY, WE’RE OBSTRUCTED BY SOME OF THE MORE THE LIBERAL GOVERNMENTS IN MASSACHUSETTS, NEW YORK, PREVENTING US FROM GETTING THE ENERGY WE NEED. SO WHAT’S THE ALTERNATIVE THERE IF WE’RE NOT GOING TO GET NEW YORK? I KNOW THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO GET THAT THROUGH REGARDLESS. THAT COULD BE A WHILE. WHAT’S THE ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION THAT CAN HELP PEOPLE MORE QUICKLY HERE? I MEAN, THE QUICKEST WAY WOULD BE TO RUN POWER FROM CANADA. THE SECOND THING WE COULD DO WOULD BE BRING THE NEW NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY TO NEW HAMPSHIRE, WHICH I THINK WILL HAPPEN IN THE NEXT DECADE. BUT I DON’T THINK IT’S GOING TO HELP US THIS OR NEXT WINTER. AS A SEACOAST RESIDENT, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? BECAUSE THAT’S A IT’S A DISCUSSION THAT’S CLOSER TO HOME, PARTICULARLY, WOULD YOU SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, THE SEABROOK FACILITY AS A NATURAL LOCATION POTENTIALLY FOR SMALL MODULAR THERE? THAT’S FUNNY. YOU BRING THAT UP BECAUSE I WENT DOWN AND TALK TO THE PEOPLE AT SEABROOK AND ONE OF THEIR MAJOR CONCERNS WAS THE EVACUATION PLAN THERE. AND SINCE THAT THAT NUCLEAR FACILITY WENT IN, SEABROOK IS THRIVING. IF THERE WERE EVER AN INCIDENT THERE, GETTING OUT OF THERE WOULD BE A PROBLEM. AND THEY VOICED THAT THAT CONCERN TO ME. SO I’M SUPPORTIVE OF THAT TECHNOLOGY. I THINK YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THE PEOPLE OF SEABROOK’S CONCERN ABOUT EVACUATION. SO YOU THINK POTENTIALLY A DIFFERENT LOCATION IS THE MORE, EXCUSE ME, IDEAL THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD LOOK AROUND YOUR DISTRICT OR ELSEWHERE IN THE STATE. FOR THE NEW TECHNOLOGY OR THE SMALLER NUCLEAR FACILITIES. AND I THINK WE NEED TO EXPLORE THAT, THAT POSSIBILITY. RIGHT. AND AS I THINK SOMEONE POINTED OUT BEFORE, THE PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD HAS SOMETHING SIMILAR ALREADY. SO IT’S NOT LIKE IT’S IT’S A NEW IDEA. THEY’VE GOT SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THERE’S A BIG FIGHT IN YOUR PRIMARY OVER THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE. ANOTHER CANDIDATE IS ATTACKING YOU FOR SAYING THAT YOU SUPPORT A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS? IS IT OUT OF STEP? AND THIS IS A POSITION MANY REPUBLICANS HAVE HELD OVER THE YEARS. BUT IS IT NOW OUT OF STEP WITH SORT OF THE MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN MOVEMENT TO SAY THAT YOU SUPPORT A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP? WHAT I SUPPORT, WE WERE LEFT WITH A TERRIBLE SITUATION. I MEAN, THE LAST ADMINISTRATION, BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, BASICALLY LEFT THE DOOR OPEN TO OUR COUNTRY. AND THEY ESTIMATE SOMEHOW 15 MILLION PEOPLE, UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE ARE IN THIS COUNTRY. NOW. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS FORCED WITH WITH CURING THIS AND FIXING THIS PROBLEM. SO I SUPPORT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. AND I WANT TO LOOK AT IT FROM A PRAGMATIC PERSPECTIVE. THAT’S A HUGE IT’S A HUGE JOB TO, TO DEAL WITH THESE 15 MILLION PEOPLE. SO WHAT I’M SAYING IS I’M OPEN TO LOOKING AT THIS AND FINDING A COMMON SENSE, PRAGMATIC WAY TO APPROACH THIS. OBVIOUSLY, WE NEED ANYBODY WHO’S A FELON OR CONVICTED CRIMINAL OR ANYBODY LIKE THAT NEEDS TO GET OUT OF HERE IMMEDIATELY. AND WE CAN’T AWARD PEOPLE THAT CAME IN THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY WITH GIVING THEM CITIZENSHIP. SO I DON’T SUPPORT THAT. BUT WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO DEAL WITH THIS CRISIS IN THE MOST PRAGMATIC, EFFICIENT WAY WE CAN. THAT’S ALL. THAT’S ALL I’M SAYING. ARE YOU SAYING ESSENTIALLY IT DOESN’T MAKE ECONOMIC SENSE TO YOU TO TRY TO DEPORT A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT COMMITTING CRIMES, WHO ARE ESSENTIALLY PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY? YEAH, WELL, THINK ABOUT IT. 15 MILLION PEOPLE CAME IN. THEY THEY DEPORT 300,000 A YEAR, ROUGHLY. IT’S GOING TO TAKE 45 YEARS UNDER THE CURRENT PLAN TO DO THIS. DOES THAT DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU? 45 YEARS. WE SHOULD LOOK AT SOME OTHER OPTIONS IS ALL I’M SAYING. YOU KNOW, IN THIS REALM DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY NOAM IS OUT AND THEY’RE LOOKING TO GET SENATOR MARKWAYNE MULLIN IN. DO YOU THINK THERE SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION OF HOW FUNDS WERE HANDLED WITHIN HOMELAND SECURITY? THERE’S A LOT OF ATTENTION ON THAT RIGHT NOW, PARTICULARLY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON AD CAMPAIGNS, THINGS LIKE THAT. IT’S TROUBLING TO ME THAT YOU WOULD ASK ME THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE I COME FROM THE BUSINESS WORLD, LIKE, WE DON’T HAVE TO DO THAT. WE HAVE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, AND THEN WE AUDIT THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, AND WE HAVE VERY ACCURATE FINANCIAL INFORMATION. SO TO EVEN SUGGEST THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT IS TROUBLING TO ME. OBVIOUSLY, WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE OUR MONEY IS SPENT. AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE’S A FAIR AMOUNT OF WASTE AND FRAUD IN OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE. AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT ADDRESSED, BECAUSE THOSE ARE DOLLARS THAT COULD BE SERVED, USED TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF OF OUR COUNTR
Anthony DiLorenzo backs Iran war but not ‘boots on the ground’ | CloseUp
Updated: 11:27 PM EDT Mar 22, 2026
Anthony DiLorenzo, a Republican candidate for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, said he supports the objective of the conflict between Iran and the United States but does not want to see U.S. troops deployed on the ground. He also expressed concern about the impact on Granite Staters, particularly rising fuel costs.
MANCHESTER, N.H. —
Anthony DiLorenzo, a Republican candidate for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, said he supports the objective of the conflict between Iran and the United States but does not want to see U.S. troops deployed on the ground. He also expressed concern about the impact on Granite Staters, particularly rising fuel costs.