Challenge in Iran is where we are today and where we go forward with Iran, leading Democrat argues

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:05]>> Martha: PRESIDENT TRUMP SITTING DOWN WITH THE LARA TRUMP TODAY FOR AN INTERVIEW THAT WILL AIR ON HER WEEKEND SHOW ON SATURDAY AND IT COMES ON THE CUSP OF WHAT COULD BE PERHAPS A BREAKTHROUGH IN THESE TALKS WITH IRAN AND WE ARE JUST MONTHS OUT FROM THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS.

[00:00:25]WATCH.

[00:00:25]>> YOU HAVE CONSISTENTLY BEEN WILLING TO DO THE HARD THINGS, THE THINGS THAT YOUR PREDECESSORS SAID SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE GUTS TO DO THEM.

[00:00:34]>> President Donald Trump: WE HAVE A VERY SMALL WINDOW SO IF YOU WANT TO PLAY THAT GAME THEN HE WOULD WAIT TILL THE MIDTERMS ARE OVER AND THEN THE FOLLOWING OUR YOU WILL ATTACK IRAN BECAUSE THEY CANNOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON, BUT THEN IT GETS MAY BE CARRIED INTO, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT ELECTION WHETHER IT'S MIDTERM OR NOT SO YOU HAVE A VERY SHORT WINDOW FOR DOING ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH WAR BUT I DON'T VIEW THAT WINDOW, I HAVE TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT.

[00:01:02]>> Martha: WITH THAT LET'S BRING IN CHRIS COONS OF DELAWARE WHO SERVES ON THE FOREIGN RELATIONS JUDICIARY AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, SENATOR, GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

[00:01:13]>> THANK YOU.

[00:01:14]GOOD TO BE ON.

[00:01:16]>> Martha: WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM THE BROAD SPECTRUM HERE, WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS MENACE IN IRAN, PROXIES, HEZBOLLAH, HAMAS, ATTACKS IN ISRAEL FOR 47 YEARS AND THEIR MARCH TOWARDS A NUCLEAR WEAPON AND IT IS TRUE THAT NO PRIOR PRESIDENT HAS HAD REALLY THE GUTS TO TRY TO CHANGE THAT IN A FORCEFUL WAY.

[00:01:43]SO WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

[00:01:45]WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE RISK THAT THIS PRESIDENT HAS TAKEN GIVEN THAT THERE IS A POLITICAL RISK ATTACHED TO IT AS WELL?

[00:01:55]>> LET'S TALK ABOUT WHERE I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU JUST SAID AND DISAGREED.

[00:01:59]I AGREE THAT THE AYATOLLAH IN IRAN HAVE BEEN A THREAT TO THE REGION AND TO GLOBAL SECURITY FOR DECADES AND THE ATTACKS ON AMERICAN TROOPS, THE TOWERS ATTACKS, THE SUPPORT FOR ENEMIES IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ HAVE COST THE LIVES OF HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS AND ATTACKS THROUGH THEIR PROXIES ON ISRAEL AND THE UNITED STATES MAKE THEM ONE OF THE WORLD'S LEADING SPONSORS OF STATE TERRORISM AND A NATION THAT WE HAVE PERSISTENTLY OPPOSED.

[00:02:32]WE WERE ABLE UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA TO MOBILIZE A GLOBAL EFFORT TO PREVENT THEM FROM GETTING A NUCLEAR WEAPON TO IMPOSE VERY TOUGH SANCTIONS ON THEM AND PRESIDENT OBAMA SECURED SEARCHING INSPECTIONS OF THEIR NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT PROGRAM AND A FAULT OF THEIR EFFORTS TO GET A NUCLEAR BOMB.

[00:02:52]PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS TAKEN A DIFFERENT APPROACH.

[00:02:53]HE TORE UP THAT DEAL, HE HAS BEEN AGGRESSIVE, YES.

[00:02:58]HE TOOK STRIKES THAT TOOK OUT THE HEAD OF THE IRGC IN HIS FIRST TERM AND LAST SUMMER WITH OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMERER HE BOMBED ONE OF THE MAJOR SITES FOR IRANIAN ENRICHMENT.

[00:03:11]THE CHALLENGES WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND WHERE WE GO FORWARD.

[00:03:14]THERE IS STILL ABOUT 900 POUNDS OF HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM BURIED SOMEWHERE IN IRAN, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE IT IS AND WE DON'T HAVE A PATH FORWARD TOWARDS AN INSPECTION REGIME THAT WILL ALLOW US TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED TO IT AND BE CERTAIN THAT THEY ARE NOT RENEWING.

[00:03:32]TODAY THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS CLOSED.

[00:03:34]>> Martha: CORRECT.

[00:03:35]THAT WAS THE PROBLEM IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION THAT WE HAD NO ANYWHERE ANYTIME INSPECTIONS AND NO CRIBBING ON THE BALLISTIC MISSILE PROGRAM WHICH IS SUCH A THREAT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE CLOSE BY AND HE RIGHTLY POINT OUT THAT THEY HAVE BEEN AT WAR WITH US FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

[00:03:50]THEY HAVE KILLED BETWEEN 601,000 U.S. SOLDIERS NOT TO MENTION ALL OF THE CIVILIANS IN THE REGION SO WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO WORK TOWARDS A DEAL TO GET THIS STRAIT BACK OPEN.

[00:04:04]WE WILL SEE WHERE THIS GOES AND THERE ARE SOME WHO HOPE IT WILL LEAD TO COMPLETE REGIME CHANGE WITH THE PEOPLE RISING UP IN IRAN TO TAKE BACK THEIR OWN FUTURE AND WE WILL SEE WHERE THAT GOES.

[00:04:13]I DO WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THIS VIDEO, THIS INTERVIEW THAT JOE BIDEN DID.

[00:04:20]YOU WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE BIDENS AND FROM DELAWARE AS WELL AND INVOLVED IN THE CAMPAIGN YOURSELF.

[00:04:25]HERE IS WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY.

[00:04:27]LET'S GO BACK FIRST AND WATCH THAT MOMENT FROM THE DEBATE WHICH YOU COMMENTED ON RIGHT AFTERWARDS AS TRUMP SOME.

[00:04:34]WATCH THIS.

[00:04:37]>> WITH COVID.

[00:04:38]EXCUSE ME, WITH DEALING WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.

[00:04:45]LOOK, IF WE FINALLY BEAT MEDICARE, THE TOTAL INITIATIVE RELATIVE WITH WHAT WE WILL DO WITH BORDER PATROL AND MORE ASYLUM OFFERS.

[00:04:56]>> President Donald Trump: I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE SAID AT THE END OF THAT SENTENCE.

[00:04:58]I DON'T KNOW WHAT IF HE KNOWS WHAT HE SAID EITHER.

[00:05:02]>> JOE, YOU DID A GREAT JOB, YOU ANSWERED EVERY QUESTION.

[00:05:05][CHEERING] >> WHAT HAPPENED?

[00:05:10]>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPEN.

[00:05:12]I THOUGHT OH, MY GOD, HE'S HAVING A STROKE AND IT SCARED ME TO DEATH.

[00:05:18]>> Martha: SHE THOUGHT HE WAS HAVING A STROKE.

[00:05:20]IT'S INEXPLICABLE.

[00:05:25]I WOULD STOP THE WHOLE THING RIGHT THEN AND GO TO A HOSPITAL.

[00:05:28]WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON WHAT SHE IS SAYING NOW.

[00:05:34]>> MY TAKE IS THAT AS I'VE GONE UP AND DOWN THE STATE OF DELAWARE, NO ONE IS ASKING ME ABOUT JOE BIDEN'S DEBATE PERFORMANCE IN 2024.

[00:05:43]THEY'VE ASKED ME ABOUT THE RISING PRICE OF GAS, ABOUT TRUMP'S TARIFFS AND ABOUT INSECURITY AND INSTABILITY BECAUSE OF AN UNRESOLVED WAR IN IRAN THAT IS NOT GOING WELL.

[00:05:53]AS SOMEONE WHO CARES FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN, I TOO WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THAT SEVERAL SECOND PAUSE MEANT.

[00:06:00]WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THAT MOMENT BUT I WAS WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN EARLIER TODAY.

[00:06:05]WE WERE AT THE FUNERAL OF A FRIEND OF OURS, SOMEONE WHO LONG SERVED AS THE MAYOR OF WILMINGTON AND HE IS FINE.

[00:06:13]I SEE REGULAR INCIDENTS WHERE PRESIDENT TRUMP FALLS ASLEEP IN MEETINGS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, IT MAKES NO SENSE WHEN ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND FRANKLY WHAT I THINK THE AVERAGE DELAWARE AND WANTS TO HEAR IS WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO LOWER THEIR COSTS AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO AVOID FUTURE POINTLESS WARS OVERSEAS.

[00:06:31]TWO THINGS PRESIDENT TRUMP RAN ON AND HE WAS SUCCESSFULLY ELECTED IN 2024.

[00:06:36]>> Martha: WE CAN GO BACK AND FORTH ON THE COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF PRESIDENT TRUMP VERSUS WHAT WAS QUITE OBVIOUS FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN.

[00:06:47]PRESIDENT TRUMP ANSWERS LIKE 30 TO 100 QUESTIONS EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM THE PRESS.

[00:06:52]MOST DAYS.

[00:06:58][SIMULTANEOUS TALKING] >> A QUESTION HE HAS NOT ANSWERED IS WHAT IS OUR GOAL?

[00:07:03]>> Martha: IT IS SIGNIFICANT.

[00:07:04]THERE WAS A LOT OF COVER OF FRANKLY OF HIS CONDITION AND YOU WERE PROBABLY PART OF THAT.

[00:07:10]>> WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE WAR IN IRAN?

[00:07:13]IF THE POINT IS TO PREVENT IRAN FROM EVER HAVING A NUCLEAR WEAPON, SECRETARY HEGSETH COULD NOT EXPLAIN THAT STRATEGY AND HE COULD NOT EXPLAIN HOW THE WAR IN IRAN IS GOING TO HELP MAKE US MORE SECURE AND LOWER THE COST THAT AMERICANS ARE FACING BECAUSE OF THE CLOSURE OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ.

[00:07:31]THAT'S WAS IN FRONT OF THEM AND THAT IS WHERE WE STARTED THIS INTERVIEW AND THAT'S WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE FOCUSING ON.

[00:07:36]>> Martha: WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE THREATS THAT EXIST OUT THERE.

[00:07:41]WE UNDERSTAND.

[00:07:42]>> WE DO.

[00:07:42]>> Martha: WE UNDERSTAND THE PATH THAT IRAN WAS ON AND WE SAW NO ACTION TAKEN UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO STOP IT FROM HAPPENING.

[00:07:49]>> THAT'S NOT TRUE.

[00:07:50]>> Martha: IT IS IMPORTANT HOW PRESIDENT'S FUNCTION, THE CURRENT PRESIDENT, THE LAST PRESIDENT.

[00:07:56]IT IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S A LEADERSHIP OF THE COUNTRY.

[00:08:01]>> AND MARTHA, ONE OF THE THINGS I HAVE RAISED OVER AND OVER IN HEARINGS ON THE DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE IS THE VERY REAL RISK TO THE UNITED STATES FROM IRANIAN DRONES.

[00:08:13]THEY ARE SUCCESSFULLY ATTACKING OUR BASES, OUR EMBASSIES AND OUR ALLIES AND PRESIDENT TRUMP SHOULD BE EMBRACING THE ONE COUNTRY THAT KNOWS HOW TO INTERCEPT THEIR DRONE SUCCESSFULLY, UKRAINE.

[00:08:26]>> IT'S A VALID POINT.

[00:08:27]>> IF WE WORK BETTER WITH UKRAINE AND PURCHASE FROM THEM, WE WOULD ALL BE BETTER OFF.

[00:08:31]>> Martha: THAT'S A VALID POINT.

[00:08:33]THEY HAVE ADVANCED DRONE TECHNOLOGY AND HAVE CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF WAR AS WE KNOW IT.

[00:08:40]BASED ON WHAT WE'VE SEEN THERE.

[00:08:41]IT'S