President Obama hit Republicans hard on CNN when he explained why his comparison to the GOP Iran deal opposition to the extremists who shout death to America is factually correct.
Video:
https://youtu.be/o50ik7mSwh0
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Transcript via CNN:
ZAKARIA: In your speech at American University you made a comparison. You said that Iran’s hard-liners were making common cause with Republicans. It’s come under a lot of criticism. Mitch McConnell says even Democrats who oppose the deal should be insulted. The “Wall Street Journal” says this rhetoric shows that you’ve abandoned the hope of getting any Republicans or even moderate Democrats, and you are targeting this message to the hard core of House Democrats who are going to sustain your veto.
OBAMA: Fareed, your question is about politics. Let me talk about substance. What I said is absolutely true factually. The truth of the matter is inside of Iran, the people most opposed to the deal are the Revolutionary Guard, the Quds Force, hard liners who are implacably opposed to any cooperation with the international community, and there is a reason for that because they recognize that if in fact this deal gets done, that rather than them being in the driver’s seat with respect to the Iranian economy, they are in a weaker position.
And the point I was simply making is that, if you look at the facts, the merits of this deal, then you will conclude that, not only does it cut off a pathway for Iran getting a nuclear weapon, but it also establishes the most effective verification and inspection regime that’s ever been put in place. It also ensures that we are able to monitor what they do with respect to stockpiles, plutonium, their underground facility, and that it does not ask us to relinquish any of the options that we might need to exercise if in fact Iran cheated or if, at some point, they decided to try to break up.
And so the reason that Mitch McConnell and the rest of the folks in his caucus who oppose this jumped out and opposed it before they even read it, before it was even posted, is reflective of an ideological commitment not to get a deal done.
ZAKARIA: You don’t —
OBAMA: And in that sense they do have a lot in common with hard- liners who are much more satisfied with the status quo.
ZAKARIA: You don’t think you’re going to get any Republican support?
OBAMA: Well, I didn’t say that. What I said was that there are those who, if they did not read the bill before they announced their opposition, if they are not able to offer plausible reasons why they wouldn’t support the bill or plausible alternatives in preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon other than potential military strikes, then that would indicate that they’re not interested in the substance of the issue, they’re interested in the politics of the issue.
The President isn’t backing off of his comments because the Iran deal is a matter of war and peace. Republicans are trying to sink the deal without bothering to read it because they support more war in the Middle East.
The Republican behavior in response to the Iran deal has been the definition of extremism.
President Obama has put up with this behavior from Republicans all through his presidency. The President already knows that he is going to get zero Republican support, so he has nothing to lose by telling the truth about the motives behind their opposition.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
