White House on Swap Payment Encouraging Hostagetaking: We Don’t Encourage Travel to Iran, It’s Not a Blank Check

On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “The Story,” White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby responded to concerns that the payment to Iran as part of its prisoner swap with the United States will incentivize Iran to take more Americans hostage by stating that travel to Iran isn’t encouraged and the money “is not a blank check” and will go to the Iranian people.

Host Martha MacCallum asked, [relevant exchange begins around 2:45] “Obviously, we’re glad those people are coming home. I’m just not sure why — if I’m on the other side of a deal where I got five people back and I got released $6 billion that I can now use, I’m thinking, why don’t I just take some more people, because then I could probably get even more money released?”

Kirby answered, “Well, we obviously don’t encourage people to travel to Iran. That’s not a good place for Americans to be. But if you go to a place like that, and if you get wrongfully detained, you need to know that this administration, this government’s going to do what we have to do to get you home. And again, we’re getting five Americans home and I think that’s the important thing to remember. And this money is not a blank check. It’s not going to go to the mullahs, it’s not going to go to the regime, it’s going to go to the Iranian people, who I think we all can agree we don’t have a beef with.”

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