President Trump criticized the “fools” who oppose the terms of the US-Iran understanding agreement as “either jealous, evil, or stupid people” after several Republican lawmakers spoke out strongly against agreement.
“These idiots, who think I wasn't strong enough in Iran, when the Stock Market just hit a RECORD HIGH, and oil prices are 'falling', are jealous, bad people, or stupid,” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social early Thursday as he returned from the G7 summit.
Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy came out strongly against the Iran deal, saying Ronald Reagan is “rolling over in his grave.”
“Iran's nuclear ambitions have not been deterred, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz is effective and will undoubtedly improve it in the future,” Cassidy wrote in X. “Now, Iran gets to build new infrastructure under this deal.
“Now, 13 Americans have died, families have paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted, and the bombings will stop,” he continued. “This is the worst foreign policy mistake in decades.”
Cassidy stepped up her criticism of Mr Trump afterwards losing his first race of the Trump-endorsed candidates, Julia Letlow and John Fleming, who are now facing a backlash. The president repeatedly criticized Cassidy, who was one of the righteous seven republics vote to criticize mr. Trump for the January 6 attack.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Trump's running mate Sen. Ted Cruz is also among the critics of the Iran deal. Cruz told The Daily Wire that he thinks the president is getting “bad advice when it comes to this deal.”
“History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to kill us is a bad idea,” the Texas Republican said. “Under the terms of that release, somewhere between $10 billion and $30 billion will flow to the Ayatollah immediately before they make even one nuclear deal.”
“I think that's wrong,” Cruz continued. “That money, if it goes to the ayatollah, will pay for the terrorists who are trying to kill Americans and the weapons that will be used to try to kill Americans. And it seems to be legitimizing the permanent role of the Islamic State in control of the Strait of Hormuz. It's hard to see what possible benefit to America could come from that.”
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally who has advocated for no deal and restarting military action against Iran, gave a strong endorsement of the deal after speaking with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“After this discussion, it is my opinion that signing the MOU will be beneficial to the United States, as the Strait of Hormuz will begin to open, and conflicts with Iran will cease,” Graham wrote in X. “Whether the United States can reach an acceptable, guaranteed agreement with Iran on its nuclear program and other issues remains to be determined, but I see little.
“Economic stability that comes from opening the Strait and ending conflicts can create a path to peace beyond the Iran conflict.”
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said he hopes to get more information a short 14-point program released on Wednesday, calling it “inadequate.”
“If I'm finally asked by the administration to judge based on the 14 points we know, it won't be a good test,” Tillis said during an Atlantic Council event at the upcoming NATO summit.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters at the Capitol on Thursday that he expects the administration to brief senators on the Iran deal early next week.
Bastien Ohier / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images 
“My understanding is that this 'official language' quote is coming out today, but yes, we have an application,” Thune said. “I think that when they talk to us for the first time, we will have people here. We have asked them to do that. I will expect it at the beginning of next week.”
Thune called the deal “good for the American people,” citing potential economic relief if the crisis is reopened. He also noted that “long-term” problems remain “unsolved.”
Democratic senators, such as Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, of New York, are united in their disdain for the deal.
“If you look at the 14 points that the administration has agreed to, it looks like Iran has won on almost all of them,” Schumer told reporters on Capitol Hill. “Trump has done a very poor job of negotiating. We are in a worse situation than when the war started. The Strait of Hormuz is under more Iranian control now than it was then. The Iranian leadership is more violent now than it was then. … This will be considered one of America's greatest tragedies.”
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal called it a “disgraceful deal” and said it looked like “unconditional surrender, not by Iran, but by the US.”
“Contrary to the promises of the president, this kidnapping is not about Iran, it seems, it is the United States in removing sanctions, providing hundreds of billions of dollars that can be used to support proxies. The absence of any kind of regime change, and the economic collapse of this regime, to strengthen it,” said Blumenthal, who added that he believed that the Senate agreement must be approved by the International Criminal Court.
“Whoever represents it will need fire-resistant weapons, because it will meet bipartisan rejection when it reaches Congress, as it should, because it has all the appearance of an agreement,” he said.
