Since the Trump administration announced Wednesday morning that it would be reviewing the Iran nuclear deal in light of the autocratic regime’s continued support for global terrorism, full-time liberal sycophant and part-time journalist Andrea Mitchell took to NBC’s Today each morning to praise the “historic” agreement implemented by Barack Obama and chastise Donald Trump for trying to “rip it up.”
On Wednesday’s edition of the morning show, Mitchell hailed: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says Tehran is complying with the historic agreement signed under the Obama administration to rein in its nuclear program.” However, she fretted: “President Trump is instead focusing on Iran’s terror ties, which six world powers did not consider at the time because they thought it was more important to stop Iran from getting a bomb....the new administration appears to be ready to rip up the deal.”
Continuing to wring her hands over the prospect of Obama’s legacy item being discarded, Mitchell bemoaned: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying the Trump administration is weighing whether to essentially break the terms of the landmark Iran nuclear deal signed almost two years ago.”
“Without the deal, experts say they would have had a nuclear weapon if they wanted within months,” Mitchell insisted. Avoiding any names, she touted how “critics will now say that the Trump review will anger European allies and raise questions about why the White House wants to risk letting Iran go nuclear while it is already in the middle of a major crisis with North Korea, which already has an arsenal of nuclear weapons.”
On Thursday, the Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent kept up her drumbeat of support for the policy, as she warned that “(anonymous) experts say scrapping the agreement would give Iran a permission slip to obtain a nuclear weapon.”
A soundbite followed of Mitchell grilling Tillerson at a Wednesday afternoon press conference: “If you break out of that deal, won’t that send a signal to North Korea and other rogue nations that the U.S. can’t be trusted to keep its end of the bargain?” The Secretary of State pushed back: “It is another example of buying off a power who has nuclear ambitions. We buy them off for a short period of time and then someone has to deal with it later.”
Finally, on Friday, Mitchell returned to the story and sneered: “The White House seems to be preparing a new package of sanctions against Iran for its terrorism. Although, critics say President Trump should focus on North Korea right now, a more urgent and immediate crisis.”
Here are transcripts of Mitchell’s reporting from the April 19, 20, and 21 episodes of Today:
04/19/17
7:05 AM ETWILLIE GEIST: Also this morning, President Trump has just ordered a review of the Iran nuclear deal and weather to, in effect, kill it. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell is with more on that story. Andrea, good morning.
ANDREA MITCHELL: Good morning to you, Willie. Well, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says Tehran is complying with the historic agreement signed under the Obama administration to reign in its nuclear program. But President Trump is instead focusing on Iran’s terror ties, which six world powers did not consider at the time because they thought it was more important to stop Iran from getting a bomb. But in a strong signal now, the new administration appears to be ready to rip up the deal.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Trump Admin to Review Iran Nuclear Deal; Weighing Whether to Break Terms Over Terror Ties]
This morning the White House talking tough on Iran. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying the Trump administration is weighing whether to essentially break the terms of the landmark Iran nuclear deal signed almost two years ago. During the presidential campaign, then-candidate Trump repeatedly called the agreement the worst deal ever negotiated.
DONALD TRUMP: The deal is one of the worst negotiated deals of any kind that I’ve ever seen.
MITCHELL: Secretary Tillerson admits Iran has been upholding its end of the bargain, but in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan, he said, “Iran remains a leading state sponsor of terror through many platforms and methods.” The 2015 deal signed by the U.S. and other world powers, including Russia, France, Germany, and the U.K., restricts Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international oil and financial sanctions against the Islamic Republic for ten years. Without the deal, experts say they would have had a nuclear weapon if they wanted within months.
Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu has long been a fierce opponent of this nuclear deal, but critics will now say that the Trump review will anger European allies and raise questions about why the White House wants to risk letting Iran go nuclear while it is already in the middle of a major crisis with North Korea, which already has an arsenal of nuclear weapons. Willie?
GEIST: A very busy inbox, Andrea, thank you so much.
04/20/17
7:08 AM ETSAVANNAH GUTHRIE: And now to the White House and a new foe for the Trump administration to focus on, Iran. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson now warning it could become the next North Korea. We’ve got two reports. Let’s start with NBC’s Andrea Mitchell. Andrea, good morning to you.
ANDREA MITCHELL: Good morning to you, Savannah. The new administration, the President, facing multiple crises from North Korea to aggressive maneuvers by Russian jets off the coast of Alaska. And now the U.S. opening a new front with Iran.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: White House Takes Aim at Iran; Tillerson Gets Tough, Calling Iran “Global Security Threat”]
MITCHELL: From the Trump administration, a stark warning to Iran.
REX TILLERSON: An unchecked Iran has the potential to travel the same path as North Korea and take the world along with it.
MITCHELL: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson blasting the nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration, calling Iran a “global security threat.”
TILLERSON: The evidence is clear, Iran’s provocative actions threaten the United States, the region, and the world.
MITCHELL: While the nuclear deal remains in place for now, President Trump has repeatedly vowed to rip it up.
DONALD TRUMP: The Iran deal made by the previous administration is one of the worst deals I have ever witnessed. And I’ve witnessed some beauties.
MITCHELL: After acknowledging Tuesday that Iran is complying with the landmark two-year-old nuclear deal, Tillerson accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism throughout the Middle East, testing and developing missiles in defiance of U.N. resolutions, arresting U.S. citizens. The Obama White House sanctioned Iran for those abuses, but, with five other powers, decided the nuclear deal was still worth doing. While experts say scrapping the agreement would give Iran a permission slip to obtain a nuclear weapon, Tillerson disagrees.
MITCHELL [TO TILLERSON]: If you break out of that deal, won’t that send a signal to North Korea and other rogue nations that the U.S. can’t be trusted to keep its end of the bargain?
TILLERSON: It is another example of buying off a power who has nuclear ambitions. We buy them off for a short period of time and then someone has to deal with it later.
(...)
04/21/17
7:08 AM ET(...)
ANDREA MITCHELL: President Trump also focusing on Iran and that landmark nuclear deal he has long criticized.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: White House Takes Aim at Iran; Trump Says Nation Not Living Up to Nuclear Deal]
DONALD TRUMP: They are not living up to the spirit of the agreement. I can tell you that. And we’re analyzing it very, very carefully. And we’ll have something to say about it in the not-too- distant future.
MITCHELL: The President did not explain what he means by “spirit.” And Tuesday night, his Secretary of State wrote Congress Iran is complying with the deal, although he denounced Iran for other abuses, including its support for terrorism. The White House seems to be preparing a new package of sanctions against Iran for its terrorism. Although, critics say President Trump should focus on North Korea right now, a more urgent and immediate crisis.
(...)
