Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday excoriated President Trump's military action against Iran and the subsequent memorandum of understanding (MOU), calling the agreement a 'real gift to the Iranians' that left Americans paying a heavy price.
Speaking at the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Pelosi told NewsNation that Trump's decision to tear up the original nuclear deal—the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—and replace it with a flawed MOU has been disastrous. 'The current occupant of the White House tearing that up and then going forward with an agreement that fails on every score until the certainty of them not producing a weapon in terms of us now having to come up with our share of $300 billion, lifting sanctions, waivers on their settlement oil,' she said.
'And what did we do?' Pelosi added. 'It cost us over $100 billion. More importantly, it cost us 13 lives. And it cost the average American hundreds and hundreds of dollars at the pump. They paid the price for his mistake.'
The preliminary 14-point MOU, brokered with help from Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, took immediate effect Wednesday. It aims to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting sanctions on Iran, but critics warn it could unravel if a final nuclear agreement isn't reached within 60 days.
Pelosi praised the Obama-era JCPOA as a 'masterful performance of diplomacy and security for our country and for the world,' contrasting it with Trump's approach. Republicans have also joined the criticism. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) called the war and its outcome the 'worst foreign policy blunder in decades,' writing on X that 'Ronald Reagan is rolling over in his grave.'
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) blasted the provision granting Iran access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund, saying, 'History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is not a good idea. I think the president is receiving some very poor advice on this deal.'
Vice President Vance defended the MOU during a White House press briefing Thursday, dismissing GOP concerns. 'The idea that he is going to strike a deal that's been bad for the American people, it's preposterous,' Vance said, adding that Trump has 'the courage to fundamentally transform our relationship with Iran.'
Vance is set to lead negotiations on Iran's nuclear program and was expected to attend an in-person signing in Lucerne, Switzerland, on Friday, though plans remain unconfirmed. He brushed off suggestions that Trump might blame him if the deal collapses, noting the president was joking when he said he'd 'blame JD.'
For more on the GOP pushback, see our coverage of Vance's defense of the MOU as Republicans and Israel voice opposition. And for an even harsher Democratic critique, check out the top Senate Democrat calling the deal 'catastrophic'.
