J.D. Vance: Iran Deal Fall Guy
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hey, it's Micah. It's been a minute since our FEMA series came out, and I want our New York listeners to know that we're having an in-person event in a couple of weeks. I'll be joined by former FEMA official Marianne Tierney. We'll talk about the history of the agency, how it's being reshaped now under the Trump administration, and some other fun stuff we couldn't fit in the show. Join us in person at WNYC, 7 p.m. on June 24th. You can get tickets at wnyc.org slash events. It's a great opportunity to meet other OTM listeners. We'd love to see you there.
This way, if it works out, I'm going to take the credit. If it doesn't work out, I'm blaming J.D. You better be careful, J.D.
It happens all the time with Trump. He can never fail. He is only failed by others.
It was the MOU heard round the world. From WNYC in New York, this is On the Media. I'm Brooke Gladstone. And I'm Michael Loewinger. Also on this week's show, Israeli media tries to thread the needle on the Israeli PM's Iran policy.
Netanyahu said that the goals are to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons and topple the regime. And now people realize that it's not what they were sold.
Plus the ideological and theological rifts tearing MAGA apart.
The Christian Zionist crowd want violence directed at America's enemies abroad and at Israel's enemies. And the America First crowd wants the violence directed at America's internal enemies, migrants. It's all coming up after this.
From WNYC in New York, this is On the Media. I'm Michael Loewinger. And I'm Brooke Gladstone. This week saw the long-awaited sort of framework of a deal to halt the Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
A U.S. official tells CBS News President Trump signed the 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran today in Versailles, France, and it's now in effect.
So what's in this MOU, as they refer to it?
Well, it is vague in a lot of its terms, particularly when it comes to Iran's nuclear program. The final agreement will confirm the provisions of this article. And so it is what we expected. It's punting the really thorny issues about enrichment around the fate of Iran's nuclear stockpile to these future technical negotiations. The deal's financial terms are also raising eyebrows. It does specify, for example, that Iran will be able to gain access to a $300 billion development fund. American officials have been explicit that the U.S. will not provide the funding for that, but that $300 billion figure is included in this document. The details that I've seen so far look awful.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy. Unshackled now after his primary loss. This will go down as a tremendous foreign policy blunder. Iran ends up stronger. Our allies in the region are weaker. And Iran has learned that if they're willing to grab that Strait of Hormuz and choke it off, they can get the Western world to dance to their tune. And Republican Senator Ted Cruz.
History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is a really, really bad idea.
Now, most conservative critics shrewdly stop short of blaming the president for the MOU's deficiencies, but they do drop another name.
The vice president was here, did a wonderful job on every outlet, but this is his deal. It's not the president's deal.
Brian Kilmeade, co-host of what's said to be Donald Trump's favorite show, Fox & Friends.
He can't do everything himself. I just hope they didn't let him down.
And here's prominent far-right pundit Ben Shapiro.
This MOU appears to be, just from the text, a disaster that does not achieve any of the actual signal goals that were set by the administration at the beginning. The vice president of the United States, the chief negotiator on this particular project, has not well served the president.
Joe Perticone, a national political reporter at The Bulwark, says it's clear that in selling this deal to the American public, J.D. Vance is being set up as the Iran deal fall guy. Welcome to the show.
Thanks for having me.
So tell me about the line in The Dark Knight Rises that this U.S.-Iran tentative non-binding memorandum of understanding reminded you of.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–7:19
2
How did the show introduce the Iran MOU and initial reactions?
7:19–18:16
3
Why are conservatives blaming J.D. Vance as the Iran deal 'fall guy'?
18:16–36:18
4
What evidence links Vance to the MOU and how much responsibility did he have?
36:18–51:52