A CPAC official just crossed the line with a vile comment about dead Iranian schoolgirls — only to be fact-checked on the spot

Matt Schlapp, the head of the American Conservative Union and CPAC, made a shocking claim on a television program, suggesting that Iranian schoolgirls killed in an airstrike were “better off dead” than living under the current Iranian government. The statement came during a discussion about a recent bombing campaign in Iran and was quickly fact-checked live on air.

Since Saturday, the United States and Israel have launched a bombing campaign, carrying out over 2,000 strikes inside Iran. President Donald Trump has said these operations could continue for at least five weeks. One of the first targets hit was an elementary school for girls in southern Iran, where the Iranian government reported that at least 175 people, mostly young girls, were killed.

According to  Mediaite, the White House has acknowledged the incident. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that the administration is “investigating” the bombing, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed that an investigation is underway.

Schlapp’s “burka” comment about Iranian schoolgirls was factually wrong, and he was corrected on air

The exchange happened on Wednesday on a popular TV program where Schlapp was a guest. The host suggested the elementary school may have been hit by Iranian fire, not by the US or Israel, and told critic Peter Beinart, “I just think you need to get your facts.” Trump has also called the Iran power handover a success, despite significant criticism over how the situation has unfolded.

Beinart pushed back, arguing that the source of the missile did not change the core issue. “Piers, even if it was an Iranian missile that was fired in response to the attack from Israel and the United States, even if it was an Iranian missile, those girls would still be alive today if the United States and Israel had not launched the attack,” he said.

Beinart added that the US and Israel attacked a country that, in his view, poses no serious threat to them, especially given Israel’s hundreds and America’s thousands of nuclear weapons. “But we know that if the U.S. and Israel had not attacked a country that poses no serious threat to them, that those girls would be alive,” he concluded.

Schlapp then cut in with his comment. “They’d be alive in a burka,” he said, adding, “This is… a barbaric society.” The host then cut him off to continue his own point. The strikes have also drawn wider moral criticism, with Pope Leo’s heartfelt appeal for moral responsibility after the Iran strikes gaining significant attention.

Schlapp’s claim about “burkas” is factually incorrect. In Iran, women and girls are legally required to wear a hijab, which covers the head and neck. They are not required to wear a burka, which is a garment that covers the entire body, including the face. It is a significant difference between the two types of clothing.