Presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke Beto O'RourkeJimmy Carter says his son smoked pot with Willie Nelson on White House roof O'Rourke endorses Kennedy for Senate: 'A champion for the values we're most proud of' 2020 Democrats do convention Zoom call MORE (D) denounced President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE's announcement that the U.S. will send 1,500 troops to the Middle East on Saturday and questioned the administration's claim of a threat from Iranian forces to U.S. forces already stationed in the area.

The former congressman told CBS's Margaret Brennan in an interview airing Sunday that the president's decision to send troops to the region to counter a supposed threat from Iranian-backed forces would only provoke conflict and draw the U.S. into war.

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"President Trump is escalating tensions, is provoking yet another war in the Middle East, where we find ourselves already engaged in war in so many countries — in Iraq, in Syria, in Yemen, not too far from there in Libya and in Afghanistan," O'Rourke told CBS.

"We don't need another war. We need to find a way to work with allies and partners and in some cases with our enemies," the Texas Democrat continued.

Pointing to aides of the president, including national security adviser John Bolton John BoltonMaximum pressure is keeping US troops in Iraq and Syria Woodward book trails Bolton, Mary Trump in first-week sales Ex-NSC official alleges 'unprecedented' intervention by White House aides in Bolton book review MORE, who has a reputation for a hawkish stance toward Iran, O'Rourke said that the White House risked sending the U.S. to war over "misconstrued" facts.

"I have a really hard time believing this administration and believing a president who has so wantonly lied and misconstrued the facts at every single turn to his own gain. I'm suspicious of a national security team that has so often called for war," O'Rourke said.

"You have someone in Bolton, who has publicly said that he wants regime change in Iran," he added, predicting that a war with the country would leave hundreds of thousands dead.

His comments echoed those of Sen. Rand Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulRand Paul says he can't judge 'guilt or innocence' in Breonna Taylor case Overnight Health Care: Health officials tell public to trust in science | Despair at CDC under Trump influence | A new vaccine phase 3 trial starts Health officials tell public to trust in science MORE (R-Ky.), a skeptic of foreign intervention, who called on the president to reconsider his announcement on Friday while urging Trump not to listen to "neocons" close to him, a clear reference to Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoTreasury sanctions individuals, groups tied to Russian malign influence activities Navalny released from hospital after suspected poisoning Overnight Defense: Pentagon redirects pandemic funding to defense contractors | US planning for full Afghanistan withdrawal by May | Anti-Trump GOP group puts ads in military papers MORE.

“This escalation doesn’t get us out of our decades long, seemingly endless wars Mr. President. Trust your instincts and follow what you ran on, not the neocons around who want to repeat past mistakes,” Paul tweeted.