Some prominent GOP hawks fear Trump just caved

When President Donald Trump launched his war on Iran in February, he risked alienating the non-interventionist base he had spent a decade cultivating.

As it tries to extricate itself from the now unpopular war, it looks like it could spark more and more wars. other side of his base – the foreign policy hawks with whom he suddenly found himself on the same team.

While there are few details about what actually happened in the memorandum of understanding, or MoU, signed with Iran, these hawks are clearly concerned that Trump is giving away too much in the name of trying to end the war. They have made no secret of their fear that Trump will sign a nuclear deal similar to the one the Obama administration signed in 2015; agreement that they (and Trump himself) have described as too weak for more than a decade.

Similar reactions came after Trump’s statement Hastily convened ceasefire in early Apriland then the outline of a potential deal It started to take shape in late May.

However, criticism is increasing after the initial agreement appears to have solidified.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina got things going on Sunday. Pretty passive-aggressive post about X.

While he praised efforts to reach an initial deal, he said he was “somewhat concerned” that Iran’s version of the details did not match the Trump administration’s.

He also emphasized that Congress should vote on such a deal. And perhaps most strikingly, he did so by stating that “it was imperative that Vice President Vance, the architect of the agreement, and his negotiating partners be part of the process of presenting the final agreement to Congress.”

Vance, in particular, has a much more dovish foreign policy than Graham. And Trump’s allies who don’t like what he’s doing will often blame those around Trump, not the President himself.

Fox News host Mark Levin also became an influential supporter of the war.

He seemed to take exception on Sunday Trump condemned Israel for targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon during peace talks. Since then, he has repeatedly wondered aloud why the Trump administration would not release the text.

“I’ve been asking for days, why can’t we the people see the damn MOU?” HE sunday saidHe adds: “Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it. If it’s a great outcome for peace, let it be.”

(The White House gave conflicting signals this Monday. Administration officials said the text would be released within 24-48 hoursWhile Trump said it would happen After signing on Friday.)

Levin had previously repeated the same point on Monday. Dealing with Trump’s political advisor accused him of undermining the president.

Editors of the conservative National Review also wondered why the details were not released.

This is called “discouragingThey noted that Trump had stated that Iran would still be allowed to enrich uranium for non-military uses and criticized early indications that the deal would not rein in Iran’s ballistic missile program.

“On balance, there is a possibility that Trump will return the United States to Obama’s failed Iran deal, which Trump rightfully tore up in his first term,” the editors wrote, “which would carry all the meaning of a humiliation after all the president’s tough talk.”

Former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has recently criticized the peace talks, was quieter but clearly cautious on Monday.

“I pray that any solution preserves these sacrifices and secures the interests of the American people,” he said. said in x.

Meanwhile, others seem quite concerned about some new details emerging.

After Vance said Iranian leaders regretted their 47-year hostility towards the United States, conservative commentator Erick Erickson responded: “FFS” — An abbreviation meaning “for God’s sake.”

(Some prominent Trump allies have warned the administration not to take what Iran says at face value or believe it will abide by the terms of any written agreement.)

“Trump surrendered to IranErickson added at another point: “Those who kill Americans love this deal.”

Similarly, Marc Thiessen, former deputy of George W. Bush, quoted by Semafor. Trump sought adviceWarned on Fox News on Monday Trump’s emerging framework is very similar to Obama’s.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what the details of the deal are and what will be negotiated, but I’m worried,” Thiessen said.

And after Vance confirmed Monday morning that Iran would have access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund, though not financed by U.S. money, Thiessen “”disaster.”

He likened it to a proposal for a “Marshall Plan to rebuild Germany while the Nazis were still in power.”

And all of this happens before the negotiators even learn the intricate details of what’s actually in the MoU. The devil is always in the details and there is always something to sort out.

But it has been clear for some time that these hawks are worried about the direction Trump is heading. It was clear that Trump had no desire to go back to war and really wanted it all to be over. This gave Iran the power to reach a better deal.

It’s hard to be very precise about what’s in the agreement until officials release the text. But now Trump faces an extremely difficult sales job that makes very few people happy.

And if the narrative on the right turns out to be that Obama is reassembling the nuclear agreement he tore up nearly a decade ago, the war could become an even bigger political disaster for him than it already has been.

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