Media criticism regarding the recent cash payment to Iran has irked President Barack Obama. The $400 million transfer took place on the same day that four American hostages were freed from the country. Critics have drawn the obvious conclusion – that the cash was a ransom payment to secure the hostage release. During a National Security Council meeting on August 4, the president had a lengthy response to the claims:
“We do not pay ransom for hostages. We’ve got a number of Americans being held all around the world, and I meet with their families, and it is heartbreaking. And we have stood up an entire section of inter-agency experts who devote all their time to working with these families to get these Americans out. But those families know that 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 into the faces of other hostage families whose loved ones are being held hostage and say to them that we don’t pay ransom defies logic.”
Barack Obama’s Argument
The President explained why he thought media coverage concerning the payment was overblown. He said that the payment was disclosed well in advance. He stressed that the only new relevant detail was that the payment was in cash. Obama also emphasized that the reason cash was used for the payment was because of current sanctions in place that would make wiring the money to an Iranian bank impossible.
A New York Times report on the payment reiterated some of the President’s arguments. The report lays out the reason for the payment. It also points out that there were some objections to doing the deal in cash.
#PalletsOfCash
The bigger takeaway, however, is how the shady appearance of the deal will fuel further criticism of the president and the Democratic party. Donald Trump wasted no time in tying things back to Hillary Clinton:
Our incompetent Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, was the one who started talks to give 400 million dollars, in cash, to Iran. Scandal!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 3, 2016
Other detractors have been using the Twitter hashtag #PalletsOfCash to lay into both Barack Obama and Clinton.
What Is #PalletsOfCash Debate? this seems truly blatant attempt by @nytimes to defend and justify Obama Iran action https://t.co/WW556cKDnm
— Rabbi Shmuley (@RabbiShmuley) August 5, 2016
Hillary had already activated her lie button. "This is old news," https://t.co/dEhL4vLiyE #PalletsofCash #Ransom
— Gary L Bauer (@GaryLBauer) August 5, 2016
Will the accusations of ransom hold water? That’s not a certainty. Either way Republican opponents of Obama and Clinton can just hammer home that it “looked like a ransom payment.” The mere inference of impropriety will be enough to whip at least a few people into a frenzy.
You can watch the entirety of the meeting below:
Featured image via screenshot from YouTube, courtesy of ABC News.
