What To Know
- Lawrence O’Donnell criticized Donald Trump’s claim that his new deal with Iran guarantees the country will never a nuclear weapon.
- O’Donnell pointed out that Iran had already agreed not to pursue nuclear weapons in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
- He accused Trump of lying about the effectiveness and originality of his Iran deal.
MS NOW anchor Lawrence O’Donnell has his doubts about Donald Trump‘s tentative deal with Iran, which the president has claimed guarantees that Iran “will never have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump made the claim to a reporter on Tuesday (June 16) at the G7 summit, while also stating that he wouldn’t release the exact text of the memorandum before Friday’s (June 19) official signing. However, he did refer to the document as “great.”
“Only an imbecile could think that that would be some kind of breakthrough in 2026, to have a written agreement that says Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” O’Donnell said on Tuesday’s episode of The Last Word, per The Huffington Post.
The host pointed out how the U.S. already had this in writing in a previous agreement. “Eleven years ago, Iran put this in writing in the publicly released, 18-page, written agreement negotiated by [then] Secretary of State John Kerry and agreed to by the United States and five other countries.”
O’Donnell then read from the document, saying, “‘Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.’”
“So Donald Trump’s big claim today after going to war with Iran is that his war has convinced Iran to put in writing exactly what Iran put in writing 11 years ago without a war,” he continued. “Yes, Donald Trump thinks you’re imbeciles if you believe that.”
During his first term in office, Trump exited the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a 2015 agreement negotiated under then-President Barack Obama.
“Donald Trump is approaching his so-called deal with Iran the only way he knows how, which is to lie about it nonstop,” O’Donnell added. “That is what Donald Trump wants Congress to do.”
He then read from a list of “talking points” the White House sent to congressional Republicans, which was obtained by MS NOW. The first point, O’Donnell said, is “a lie,” reading, “‘Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. President Trump drew that line and enforced it when no other President would.’”
“So, Donald Trump believes it’s impossible to sell his so-called deal with Iran without lying about President Obama’s comprehensive deal with Iran 11 years ago that successfully prevented Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons,” O’Donnell added.
You can watch the segment in the video above.
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell, Weeknights, 10/9c, MS NOW