On Monday, Fox News host Dana Perino criticized President Donald Trump and his administration regarding their proposed agreement to conclude the Iran war. She argued that the lack of detailed information in the memorandum of understanding, announced the previous Sunday, represents a political advantage for Democrats.
Co-host of “The Five,” Perino, highlighted that Trump’s White House has branded itself as the “most transparent” administration in history. However, she pointed out that the absence of details in the memorandum, scheduled to be signed on Friday, contradicts this claim and provides grounds for Democrats to criticize.
“I could articulate their arguments more effectively,” Perino stated on Monday, mentioning the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, “because there are points to be made, like, ‘OK, you eliminated those 40 leaders, but now the IRGC is in control.'”
She further questioned, “Is this who we are supposed to align with on Friday? And sign an unseen and unread agreement? Is this the hallmark of the most transparent administration in history? Yet we can’t access it?”
Perino asserted her ability to make all these points, which led to co-host Greg Gutfeld humorously remarking, “You have to stop doing that.”
The program’s only liberal voice, Jessica Tarlov, commented, “I think she sounds great!” Tarlov has consistently criticized the war and questioned its alleged necessity.
The Iran conflict commenced in late February with coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran, resulting in the deaths of at least 13 U.S. military service members and over 3,000 Iranians. It has also caused disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial artery for a fifth of the world’s oil supply.
This unpopular conflict has adversely affected Trump’s approval ratings in the U.S., with fellow Republicans anticipating possible negative outcomes in the forthcoming midterm elections. Trump, currently in Europe, hinted on Monday that he might not be present for the signing on Friday in Geneva.
The war’s primary stated objective was to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Perino remarked, “As we said initially, victories are generally clear and understandable.” She added, “We haven’t even reviewed the information. If I were the Democrats, I’d question, ‘You share everything else, so why not let us see this?'”
Perino, who served as White House press secretary under President George W. Bush, suggested the reason might be that “things are still being worked out” privately — and that the Trump administration “jumped the gun” in announcing a deal Sunday before it was finalized.
She then argued that Trump has accomplished a lot in Iran, however, citing the 2020 assassination of military leader Qassem Soleimani and last year’s “Operation Midnight Hammer” — which Trump said at the time had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“Like, all of that is different and better and puts us in a better position than we were 10 years ago,” Perino said Monday. “Or even more than that, like when the JCPOA written by Obama was there.”
Former President Barack Obama didn’t write the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, but it was indeed secured in 2015 under his administration. Trump exited the deal, which included a vow that Iran would not develop nuclear weapons, in 2018 — and has criticized the deal on countless occasions since.
