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Obama Doubles Down On Comparing GOP to Iran Hardliners

August 7, 2015

President Obama did not back off controversial remarks he made this week about Iranian hardliners having "common cause" with Republicans opposed to the Iran nuclear deal, telling CNN in a clip Friday that "what I said is absolutely true, factually."

"The truth of the matter is inside of Iran, the people most opposed to the deal are the Revolutionary Guard, the Quds force, hardliners who are implacably opposed to any cooperation with the international community," he said. "The reason that Mitch McConnell and the rest of the folks in his caucus who oppose this jumped out and opposed it before they even read it, before it was even posted, is reflective of an ideological commitment not to get a deal done. In that sense, they have a lot in common with hardliners who are much more satisfied with the status quo."

The remarks were part of Obama's taped interview with Fareed Zakaria that will air in full Sunday.

It is not only Republicans who have come out against the nuclear deal being pushed by the administration. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), one of the most influential Jewish voices in Congress, announced he would oppose it Thursday night, and key House Democrats Reps. Eliot Engel (D., N.Y.) and Steve Israel (D., N.Y.) have also said they will vote to oppose the agreement.