On Thursday’s broadcast of “NewsNation Now,” Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) reacted to reports of an Iranian proxy group striking a U.S. base in Iraq by floating the possibility that they’ve cut some deal with Republicans or the campaign of 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump like “they did with Ronald Reagan, setting him up, refusing to negotiate the return of the hostages at that time with the then-president. So, here we go again, maybe, maybe not, let’s hope not, but it’s always possible.”
Garamendi said, “Well, certainly there’s going to be a reaction. Every time that’s happened in the Biden administration, there’s been a very strong reaction against the militants. We need to also recognize that, at the present time, the Middle East is one very chaotic and extremely dangerous place, and from time to time, we may very well see, once again, the Iranian involvement in our election. There’s been some talk about assassination, but beyond that, think back to the matchup with Reagan and that period of time, where it appears as though the Iranians and Reagan cut a deal just months before the election that resulted in the hostages coming home about a month after the Inauguration and then we had the Iran-Contra controversy and the scandal that was there. It may very well be that we’re headed into another situation in which Iran is playing in our national politics. I have no knowledge that [they’ve] actually reached out to the Republicans or to the Trump campaign. But I do know history. And I do know what they did with Ronald Reagan, setting him up, refusing to negotiate the return of the hostages at that time with the then-president. So, here we go again, maybe, maybe not, let’s hope not, but it’s always possible.”
Host Connell McShane then stated, “Again, speculation, no evidence of that yet. You’re just going back to what happened in the past.”
Garamendi responded, “Correct.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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