CNN host confronts GOP lawmaker who contradicted Trump on air: 'I don't mean to interrupt'

CNN's John Berman flagged a Republican congressman for seemingly contradicting President Donald Trump's claims about his objectives in the Iran war.

The president claimed in his prime time address that regime change has already been accomplished, although there's no indication the authoritarian Islamic Republic has fallen out of power, and Rep. Martin Stutzman (R-IN) seemed to understand that.

"We should never trust this regime," Stutzman said. "This has been going on for 40 years and if the IRGC and the ayatollah are still in power in Iran, it will always be a problem because these guys are, they're true believers that if you don't agree with them and their religious beliefs, that they are going to somehow either eliminate the person or they're going to get a nuclear bomb in order to leverage the rest of the world, and so I think that this there has to be a regime change here. I am not afraid to say it, because we know that this regime has been a –"

Berman stepped in to ask the Indiana Republican to clarify his remarks.

"I don't mean to interrupt, but you said there has to be a regime change," Berman said. "Does that mean you don't think there has been? Because the president said last night there was regime change."

Stutzman backtracked and insisted that whatever the president had said was likely more accurate than his own assessment.

"Well, and again, I mean, the president knows a lot more than I do," Stutzman replied, "and who he's talking to and how he is, uh, you know, negotiating with the the people in Iran. So if he is comfortable with a new person that's taking power, then that is a new leadership in Iran, and I think that that's what's important. We can't let the old guys stay in power. We have to let the Iranian people have their country back."

"It also creates an ally in the Middle East, it brings stability to the Middle East," he added. "You know, watching the Gulf States stepping up through this conflict is really remarkable. This wouldn't have happened 10 years ago, and to have Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Israel all working for the same goal here to take off the head of the snake is truly remarkable, and I think that that's what I mean when I say there's got to be somebody new."

- YouTube youtu.be