Senate Democratic leaders hold news conference after Trump strikes tentative Iran deal

[0:00] June. They keep saying it, but it doesn't happen. Now it's been two days since Trump claimed he had [0:08] reached a peace deal, quote unquote, with Iran, but he still hasn't released any details at all [0:15] of this so-called deal. The American people need this war to end. That's why Senate Democrats will [0:22] for the ninth time force a vote on a war powers resolution to end Trump's war. Every minute this [0:30] blunder goes on is another minute too long. It's one of the worst blunders, foreign policy blunders, [0:35] any president has ever made in the history of the United States. I'm also calling on three things [0:41] from the Trump administration. First, I'm calling on Trump to hold a gang of eight meeting on what [0:47] is in this so-called deal. That, of course, is classified. Second, I'm calling on Trump to brief [0:53] the whole Congress. All senators deserve answers. And third, I'm calling on Trump to immediately tell [1:00] the American people on whatever is in his so-called deal. He needs to stop keeping America in the dark [1:08] after more than a hundred days of bloodshed, 13 Americans killed, hundreds more wounded, [1:15] tens of billions of dollars spent. What exactly did we get out of Trump's failed war? Well, [1:23] the Iran regime is more extreme now, as extreme as they were before. They're more extreme now, [1:29] the Iran regime is more extreme now than they were before he started his war. Iran has more control [1:36] of the Strait of Hormuz than it was before he started his war. Gasoline prices are much higher [1:43] than before he started his war, and Americans are still footing the bill. Trump needs to explain his [1:53] so-called deal and end this war once and for all. On the slush fund. Trump's slush fund and IRS [2:01] sweetheart deal is one of the most depraved, corrupt, obscene schemes I've ever seen. It's [2:09] unbelievable that Republicans refuse to outlaw this corruption. If they can't outlaw this, [2:16] after Republicans voted down every attempt to rein in this corruption, a couple of weeks ago, [2:21] we gave them another chance. A chance, I gave them a chance today to show who they stand for, [2:28] American taxpayers or Donald Trump, working families or cop beaters. After months of fake [2:35] outrage on Trump's slush fund and sweetheart IRS deals, after calling it, quote, morally wrong, [2:42] quote, absurd, quote, stupid on stilts, Republicans blocked it. All they had to do was let our resolution [2:48] go through, and we were on the path to passing a law that said Trump could never do this. But [2:56] Republicans once again refused to outlaw Trump's insurrection, his slush fund and tax fraud scheme. [3:02] So anyone, anyone who thinks Trump is at all serious or has any intention of dropping his plans for a [3:11] MAGA slush fund that would funnel billions of taxpayer dollars to his buddies, his cronies, cop beaters, [3:22] criminals, hasn't been paying attention, hasn't been listening to what Trump says, hasn't understood that [3:31] he lies at will. It's almost his M.O. to lie. Over and over again, we're going to force Trump to answer [3:39] for Trump's, over and over again, we're going to force Republicans to answer for Trump's slush fund, [3:44] the IRS sweetheart deal. We're going to keep putting him on record. Republicans will not be able to [3:50] wash their hands of Trump's effort to defraud the American people at a time when they're struggling [3:56] to make ends meet. Senator Schatz. On the so-called M.O.U., I just have one basic question, which is, [4:09] if this deal is so good, why can't the public see it? Even without all the details, here's what we do [4:18] know. Donald Trump hasn't made anything materially better. Things have gotten worse. 13 service [4:27] members dead. 3,000 Iranians killed. Tens of billions of dollars, maybe hundreds of billions [4:37] of dollars in three months. And prices spiked everywhere. Gasoline, utilities, fertilizer, [4:46] groceries. Everything is more expensive. And despite all of that, none of Donald Trump's original [4:55] objectives have been met. He wanted to annihilate Iran's military capabilities, and that has not [5:02] happened. He wanted to abolish their nuclear ambitions, and that has not happened. Any agreement [5:09] on nuclear weapons still needs to be negotiated, and is very unlikely to be better than the original [5:16] deal under President Obama. He wanted unconditional surrender from the Iranian regime, and that [5:23] certainly has not happened. They're still there. They're more radical, and they're more emboldened. [5:29] He wanted to liberate the Iranian people, and that has not happened either. There is a reason [5:36] they are not publishing this deal, and it's because it makes plain that this is one of the biggest [5:43] foreign policy blunders in many generations. [5:46] Thank you, Leader Schumer. [5:53] Let's talk about the cost of this war. American consumers are paying billions more in gas prices. [6:01] There are families right now that are deciding whether they're going to be able to afford to send [6:05] their kid to a summer program or fill their gas tank. We've had a dramatic spike in the number of farms [6:11] who are declaring bankruptcy. Why? Because diesel prices have gone up by 50%. And America's reputation [6:18] around the world is shattered. This has been a humiliating 100 days for the United States. [6:27] Brian is right. The President doesn't want you to see this agreement because it is essentially a report [6:34] card on what a disaster this war has been. It does bear repeating that none of Donald Trump's objectives [6:44] have been achieved, and they're not even close to being achieved. Reportedly, Iran still has 70% of [6:51] their missiles after a $60 billion bombing campaign. The Ayatollah is gone, but the regime now is more [7:00] radical and more capable. The regime has proved that they can take America's best shot and survive. [7:07] They have proved that they can control the Strait of Hormuz. And while no one has seen this agreement, [7:14] and there is still some doubt that it will even actually materialize, it appears at the foundation [7:21] to be a payment to Iran to open the Strait. The numbers are fuzzy, but it looks as if there will be [7:30] significant sanctions relief given to Iran so that they open the Strait. Now, that is an abomination [7:38] in and of itself, but it basically renders the future nuclear negotiations a failure in advance. [7:46] Because if you have given up all your leverage just to open the Strait, you have nothing left to try to [7:52] get them to come to the table on their nuclear program. This has been an epic disaster for the American [7:59] people. This war has been an epic disaster for American national security. America is weaker [8:06] today because of this war. Iran is stronger. And while we want it to end, this agreement will be [8:15] proof positive to the American people of what an absolute dumpster fire this war has been from start to finish. [8:22] We are all awaiting the hearing, and we'll make some decisions after that. Go ahead now, you can get a chance. [8:45] Thank you. Even though your name is not Burgess. I know it's Jeremy. Where's Jeremy? [8:50] On? Chad and Jeremy? You're back in the 60s. The old singing group. [8:54] On Jay Clayton, Leader Thune says that he's qualified to be the chief of terrorism. Is that enough? [9:04] We're waiting for the hearing. But that's your, but that's your hearing. Is that enough? [9:10] Thank you. A question on Michigan. Who are you supporting the Democratic primary? And in Maine, [9:16] do you remain confident of your friend about the opinion? A, in Michigan, I'm supporting Haley [9:20] Stevens. And in Maine, we are going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate. Yes. [9:26] Why would Democrats? Look, you can ask any Democrat. There are [9:40] lots of questions about Clayton that have to be answered. Yes. The appropriations process right now [9:46] is stuck. There's a lack of deal on top line numbers. What do Democrats need to reach a deal [9:51] on the top line if you rule out a shutdown in October? Well, first and foremost, we need Susan [9:56] Collins to sit down in good faith with Patty Murray and come up with a top line. She has refused to do so. [10:02] That's why the negotiations are stalled. That's why she's had to delay it three weeks in a row. Yes. [10:08] Leader Shremer, why did you set a vote for today on the war powers that you need to represent? [10:14] Okay. The one that advanced last month was a motion to discharge. And it's now on the floor, [10:27] ready for a motion to proceed. We are the resolution that Tim Kaine had, that Mournock has is another [10:36] motion to discharge. As for the, so one is a step ahead of the other. And we want to make sure all the [10:44] votes are there before we move the Kaine resolution further. Thank you, everybody. [10:50] Thank you. And let me just say, it's up to Republicans. We're trying to get a few more [10:54] Republicans to vote for the Kaine resolution so we can move forward. We're one short one. [11:02] Thank you. [11:31] Thank you.