CNN anchor John Berman repeatedly pushed a Republican guest Tuesday over the threat to Iran issued by President Donald Trump just a short time earlier.
Trump shared a dire warning on Truth Social Tuesday, writing that itâs probable a âwhole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back againâ as the deadline for Iran to agree to a deal looms. Berman repeatedly questioned Republican New York Rep. Mike Lawler about whether he supported the statement, quoting that line multiple times during a more than seven minute interview.
âAs you know, the president just posted, âA whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I donât want that to happen, but it probably will,ââ Berman said, quoting the Trump post. âAs a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, if there is no deal by 8 oâclock tonight, do you support making a whole civilization die?â
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Lawler gave a direct response to the question, saying, âNo, I donât support making a whole civilization die, but certainly the end of this terrorist regime that has been in effect for 47 years, I do support what the administration has done over these past five weeks to decimate their capabilities.â
Lawler emphasized to Berman that Trump gave the regime a chance to negotiate prior to striking nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan last year, and has been given ample opportunity to âturn over their 60% enriched uranium, to stop mass producing their ballistic missiles, to stop financing terrorism,â since.
âThey chose not to do that,â Lawler said.
During a contentious press conference on Monday, Washington Post reporter Natalie Allison asked Trump about some of his other posts on Truth Social, including one where he said, âGlory be to God,â while demanding Iran cease efforts to block the Strait of Hormuz. Berman pressed Lawler on Trumpâs comments.
âOkay, the new threat for the president is that a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. You say the president doesnât want to do it. Does being reluctant to end a civilization make it okay?â Berman asked.
âAgain, I donât think weâre talking about ending a civilization,â Lawler replied.
Berman and Lawler went back and forth over whether the Republican âbelievesâ the presidentâs message to Iran before Berman again asked, âDo you think Congress should have a vote if the United States is going to make a whole civilization die?â
âAgain, John, youâre you are parsing here. The fact is weâre talking about energy and civilian infrastructure,â Lawler said. âIf you look at the role Congress has had, Congress has had a vote. When Congress rejected the push by Democrats, many of whom have previously said that this regime needed to go, many of whom have said this regime could not possess a nuclear weapon, Congress rejected the unilateral and immediate withdrawal. So Congress has already taken action.â
Before ending the segment, Berman said, âI wasnât parsing. I was quoting.â In total he repeated the civilization comment six times, five of those after Lawler had already directly answered the question.
Trump laid out terms Iran would have to accept for Operation Epic Fury to end while talking with reporters on March 23.
âWeâre looking for all of the things that weâve been talking about,â Trump said. âWe want to see no nuclear bomb, no nuclear weapon, not even close to it, low-key on the missiles. We want to see peace in the Middle East. We want the nuclear dust, weâre going to want that, and I think weâre going to get that. Weâve agreed to that, yes, weâve agreed to that uranium ⌠we want no enrichment, but we also want the enriched uranium.â
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