On Tuesday’s CBS This Morning, Senator Lindsey Graham blasted President Obama over the Iranian nuclear deal and called him “the Neville Chamberlain of our time,” which caused host Charlie Rose to sharply react: “Neville Chamberlain? Appeasement?”
The CBS host initially wondered why Obama “feels so strongly about this and is convinced this is the only deal that is possible, the best deal that is possible, and the only way to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon? What is it about this president?”
Graham quickly called Obama the “Neville Chamberlain of our time” for appeasing to Iran’s demands much like the former British Prime Minister did towards Nazi Germany at the beginning of World War II.
In response, the CBS host appeared visibly shocked that the Republican would make such a comparison. Graham went on to explain that Obama “believes that over the next 15 years Iran is going to change their behavior because this deal doesn't require them to do a damn thing in terms of changing their behavior”:
At the passage, at the end of 15 years, all inspections are lifted and here is his bet. I don't think he’s a bad man. I think he misunderstands the world in the Mid East. At the end of 15 years, they can get a nuclear weapon with no strings attached. He thinks they are going to change over the next 15 years for the better.
Look at the last thousand years and you'll get a good idea of what they’re going to do in the next 15 years. He is dangerously naive. He called the ISIL the J.V. Team. He drew a line against Assad. Assad crossed it and nothing happened. I think his foreign policy is in a shambles and this deal is just a natural continuation of a man who don't understand the Mid East.
Later in the broadcast, CBS hosted David Plouffe, President Obama’s 2008 campaign manager, and Rose gave the Democrat a platform to respond the Graham’s comments as he tossed a softball at Plouffe and simply asked “How do you react?”
See relevant transcript below.
CBS This Morning
July 21, 2015
GAYLE KING: Have you said anything to him, to Donald Trump?
LINDSEY GRAHAM: No.
KING: Have you called him and said, look knock it off?
CHARLIE ROSE: He called and said he was a jerk.
GRAHAM: What good would that do, calling Donald Trump? I'm more worried about the Iran nuclear deal than I am Donald Trump and so is John McCain. John McCain said to me I'm having to talk about Donald Trump rather than Iran on the verge of getting a nuclear weapon because of a horribly bad deal. The president went to the U.N. instead of his own Congress. That’s a sign of weakness, disrespect and a bad deal. Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force, that killed 500 Americans at least can copper-tipped IEDs has been taken off the sanctions list and we can't talk about that because of Donald Trump. To the American people, this is a bad deal. It's going to lead to a nuclear arms race. Let's please move on to things that matter.
NORAH O’DONNELL: Are there enough votes in Congress to override a presidential veto?
GRAHAM: I think there will be. A no vote ensures that the next president, whoever he or she may be, will have leverage. If congressional sanctions are left in place and the next president can get a better deal, we can get a better deal, we must get a better deal. A yes vote takes the congressional sanctions off the table. The next president has no leverage and that is bad for us and Israeli.
ROSE: Senator, why do you think the president feels so strongly about this and is convinced this is the only deal that is possible, the best deal that is possible, and the only way to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon? What is it about this president?
GRAHAM: He is the Neville Chamberlain of our time.
ROSE: Neville Chamberlain? Appeasement?
GRAHAM: Yes. He’s the Neville Chamberlain of our time who believes that over the next 15 years Iran is going to change their behavior because this deal doesn't require them to do a damn thing in terms of changing their behavior. At the passage, at the end of 15 years, all inspections are lifted and here is his bet. I don't think he’s a bad man. I think he misunderstands the world in the Mid East. At the end of 15 years, they can get a nuclear weapon with no strings attached. He thinks they are going to change over the next 15 years for the better.
Look at the last thousand years and you'll get a good idea of what they’re going to do in the next 15 years. He is dangerously naive. He called the ISIL the J.V. Team. He drew a line against Assad. Assad crossed it and nothing happened. I think his foreign policy is in a shambles and this deal is just a natural continuation of a man who don't understand the Mid East.
