Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer slammed the Obama Administration on Thursday, telling Fox News anchor Shannon Bream that they have "lie[d] shamelessly" about the entire Iran nuclear deal.
Bream could tell that Krauthammer was anxiously waiting to share his thoughts.
"Charles, you’re chomping at the bit. I can see it over here," Bream said.
Krauthammer said that he was amused by how obvious it was that the Obama administration was sending $400 million to Iran as part of a hostage negotiation back in January.
"I think I remember saying these guys are not paid enough, the spokesmen, who have to look in the camera, and this time he couldn’t. He had to look down because it was so embarrassing. Of course it’s ransom," Krauthammer said.
Krauthammer continued his criticism of the Obama administration by saying that they lied all the way through the Iran deal.
It’s that they lied and they lie shamelessly, and they lie when the lie is uncovered. That’s what’s so scary. And they lie about the entire Iran deal. This is the tip of the iceberg that’s associated with the Iran deal. Every item on the Iran deal that we were promised we would hold the line on x, y, and z, or we did this or we’re getting inspections. They lied all the way through and that deal is shot through with denials, with all kinds of statements, and we are going to suffer that."
Krauthammer said that these denials will hurt the U.S. more than anything that comes out of the ransom payments.
State Department spokesman John Kirby was asked Thursday whether the administration would have given $400 million to Iran if the American hostages were not released. He admitted that they would have sent the money, which appears to contradict what President Obama said on August 4, when he publicly said his administration does not pay ransom for hostages.
"[Families] know we have a policy that we don’t pay ransom. And the notion that we would somehow start now, in this high-profile way, and announce it to the world, even as we’re looking in the faces of other hostage families whose loved ones are being held hostage, and saying to them we don’t pay ransom, defies logic" Obama said.