On Monday’s broadcast of CNN International’s “The Brief,” Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) stated that Iran’s leadership “should be skeptical” of President Donald Trump’s credibility because he pulled out of the Iran deal and “It appears that all of those negotiations” recently “were subterfuge to get Iran to not be expecting the secret attack.”
Stanton said, “Well, if the ceasefire turns out to be real, of course, that is a really good piece of news. The problem, of course, is that the President has engaged in subterfuge, not just subterfuge with Iran, but subterfuge with the American people. Remember, he was indicating that we were in active negotiations with Iran. He’s told the American people those negotiations were going very well, and, then, all of a sudden, he made a 180-degree turn and decided to engage in the bombing. It appears that all of those negotiations were subterfuge to get Iran to not be expecting the secret attack. But when you’re dishonest with the American people about what’s really going on, especially on issues of war and putting our servicewomen and men in jeopardy, it puts in doubt whether we can trust other things that [come] out of this White House, and that’s what’s very troubling.”
Host Jim Sciutto then asked, “And I imagine Iranian leaders, for their part, what would [be] the confidence they would have in a new diplomatic effort from the U.S. to believe that that diplomatic effort is real and in good faith, given what you cited, the President, at a minimum, misinforming, right? On what U.S. intentions were, just a few days ago?”
Stanton answered, “Well, in fact, going back further, as you remember, President Obama did sign an agreement, a multi-state agreement that included Iran, the JCPOA, the Iran nuclear deal. President Trump pulled us out of that deal. When he became President the second time, immediately started entering negotiations with Iran and led both the world and the American public, the people of our country, led them to believe that he was going to take a negotiated position, trying to reach another agreement. It turned out to be wrong. So, of course, they should be skeptical of his credibility. But so should the American people, because of that history of pulling us out of [an] agreement, then going in a very different direction.”
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