Iran Demands $10 Billion to Restart Nuclear Talks

Today on Sekulow, Iran demanding $10 billion from the United States just to restart the nuclear negotiations. We'll talk about that more today on Sekulow.

Alright, welcome to Sekulow. You know, when you hear that number, first you might think, wow, that's a lot. It's a non-starter. Think about this. In Washington, D.C., the discussion right now is whether or not they'll move forward on a $3.5 trillion package. So if you're Iran and you're reading the room and you've got these assets that are frozen, it's another one of those deals kind of like Joe Biden yesterday, where they could ultimately say is, we didn't actually pay them anything. We didn't actually give them anything.

We just unfroze assets. This was actually not taxpayer dollars. Just a reminder, last time around when the nuclear talks, so you have to go back to the Obama years, so adjust for inflation, it was $1.7 billion and $400 million in cash. So this was a much higher amount.

But I want to go right to my dad. Dad, I hear this number and I think this is exactly what the Biden administration has been wanting to hear. It's not outside of the realm for them to consider moving forward on. No, and of course, they've already started posturing them.

Let's be clear here, how they started posturing it. They say, well, this is not really our assets anyways. This isn't us giving them money. This is their money. We're simply releasing that money to them. So again, the Iranians didn't know exactly how to play this. They've done this before.

They've done it over the last decade. No discussions of substance without cash. Then comes the cash and then comes no substantive discussions that really mean anything. And that JCPOA, as we know, meant nothing because the Iranians never stopped developing their nuclear capacity.

And now they just want $10 billion to help develop it even further. So I think this is, again, the Biden administration, you know, fullheartedly entering into this and the ramifications are going to be really serious. Yeah, this is again, this is a time when you've got the Biden team is out in the Middle East. They're meeting with Israeli leaders, trying to sell them on this idea. They're meeting with Egyptian leaders, trying to sell them on this idea. But to me, it's just when you put these players in their position, in their natural position, and you see these stories. First of all, Iran is just kind of saying, this is where we're at.

This is kind of where we're thinking. So if the Biden team was to come back and say, well, we'll go $7 billion, it's tough to see the Iranians saying no to that. Especially, remember, they've taken that hardline stance. You've got a new President there. So for months, there were all these Biden administration officials that would go on TV, like the Jake Sullivan types, talking about Iran. Iran knows they've gotten them to the table before.

But this time around, they waited, they waited, they waited. They came up with a number. The number is not so outrageous that you can't dismiss something like this. This could easily move forward, and you can see an administration that's talking, spending in the trillions, how $10 billion to get back to the table with their friends from Iran is not so extreme. Take a listen to President Biden. This was his speech to the UN on specifically Iran.

He was already telling them we want to go there. The United States remains committed to preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon. We're working with the P5 plus one to engage Iran diplomatically and to seek a return to JCPOA. We're prepared to return to full compliance if Iran does the same.

I mean, there you go. When we come back to the break, we'll kind of break this down because I think the idea is, what do you mean we'll go back to full compliance? You mean we're just going to keep giving money to Iran? Because we never got the access we want. We never got the compliance. We never got the access.

We were not able to send the inspectors where they wanted to go. So he's pledging to the world that we will go into compliance. That's because the Trump administration left in 2019 and said, you know what, we're not going to be a part of this phony deal anymore. So we come back for the break. We'll take your phone calls, 1-800-684-3110.

How dangerous do you believe another deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran would be for the United States and our ally Israel? Give us a call. 1-800-684-3110.

That's 1-800-684-3110. The challenges facing Americans are substantial. At a time when our values, our freedoms, our constitutional rights are under attack, it's more important than ever to stand with the American Center for Law and Justice. For decades now, the ACLJ has been on the front lines protecting your freedoms, defending your rights, in courts, in Congress, and in the public arena. And we have an exceptional track record of success.

But here's the bottom line. We could not do our work without your support. We remain committed to protecting your religious and constitutional freedoms.

That remains our top priority, especially now during these challenging times. The American Center for Law and Justice is on your side. If you're already a member, thank you. And if you're not, well, this is the perfect time to stand with us at ACLJ.org, where you can learn more about our life-changing work.

Become a member today. ACLJ.org. Only when a society can agree that the most vulnerable and voiceless deserve to be protected is there any hope for that culture to survive. And that's exactly what you are saying when you stand with the American Center for Law and Justice to defend the right to life. We've created a free, powerful publication offering a panoramic view of the ACLJ's battle for the unborn.

It's called Mission Life. It will show you how you are personally impacting the pro-life battle through your support. And the publication includes a look at all major ACLJ pro-life cases, how we're fighting for the rights of pro-life activists, the ramifications of Roe v. Wade 40 years later, play on parenthood's role in the abortion industry, and what Obamacare means to the pro-life movement. Discover the many ways your membership with the ACLJ is empowering the right to life.

Request your free copy of Mission Life today online at ACLJ.org slash gift. Welcome back to Sekulow. So the Iranians, through their foreign minister, have asked for $10 billion not to re-sign the nuclear deal, but to get back into discussions with the United States directly. So this was their offer made through back channels. It's being discussed publicly now. I don't think that's a secret. I don't think this is all planned out. I think that this is attesting the waters.

Does this get attention? Do the American people pay attention to the $10 billion? Do they pay attention to going back into a nuclear deal?

I mean, I can imagine the Biden administration is looking for any wins they can think of. The issue with this was I think it's half the country or more is opposed to this entire idea. So if they try to sell this, I think this one they would rather just not talk about, see if we can push this aside, maybe it won't get so much news. This is the Iranian foreign minister, take a listen to their spokesperson, who is putting this out. They're not backing away from this deal.

Take a listen. The United States would like to get back to the room. So it needs a ticket, and the ticket is to be able to respond to the request of all P4 plus one, including Iran.

There are important issues. One is removing all sanctions imposed, reimposed or relabeled or newly labeled by Trump, and also to give a proper guarantee that there would be nobody in Washington again to violate the deal. So I think what's interesting that too is that this is, Iranians have been pretty silent from the Trump to the Biden administration. They haven't said a lot publicly, there hasn't been many public moves, and then now they've laid it out on the table exactly what they want to restart the talks. Because this is exactly how they play it. I mean, they've been through this before, so they know exactly what they want and they know what they want to do.

And I think we've got to be clear here. Does anyone doubt the Biden administration is going to do this? I mean, is there anyone seriously thinking that Vice President Biden is not so desperate to get back to the table and so desperate to get back into the so-called Iranian nuclear deal, that he's not going to release their $10 billion, and they're going to say, as Jordan, you said perfectly correctly, that it's not like we're giving them any money, it's their money, we're just not freezing it anymore as a confidence building measure.

That's what they're going to say. The danger, of course, is what this means for the region, not just today, but a year from now, two years from now, five years from now. Wes, as you were talking about it, there are members of Congress in Washington, D.C. that would be supportive of this $10 billion who oppose the billion dollars to fund Israel's Iron Dome.

Yeah, the Iron Dome is strictly defensive. And some of the same players in D.C. that will be all over this $10 billion to give to Iran so that they will flirt with the idea of being in compliance. There's no assurance they will.

Actually, I don't believe they will, but some of these same people objected to that. President Biden is intent on getting back into the flawed JCPOA. The Biden administration, like the Obama administration, believes that that Iran nuclear deal is the only way to keep them from getting a nuclear weapon, even though the agreement itself does not prevent them from getting that weapon, it merely delays it for a decade, less than a decade now. This is the same playbook that the Obama administration has, but it's not only the same playbook, it's the same players. The people that initially negotiated for the Iran nuclear deal have been promoted. They're in higher positions of authority now in the Biden administration, and they're continuing the same song and dance, even though it's not realistic. Iran will not live up to their obligations in the agreement.

They didn't do that before. Even now, they're way out of line with the restrictions of that agreement. They're enriching uranium at 60, 70 percent. 90 percent is all they need for a nuclear weapon.

They've increased the number of centrifuges. They say that if we will get back in compliance, they will also. Well, they can say they'll get back in compliance. There's no way for them to erase the knowledge they have or the amount of uranium they have and their intent on acquiring a nuclear weapon.

It is naive to think otherwise. The Washington actors that we've got used to in this world from the Biden team, because we saw all of them as Washington actors under the Obama years, they're not new. So it's pretty predictable. I mean, I don't think that they're going to willingly rush and say, yes, we'll definitely do exactly what Iran wants.

That's not how they're going to posture it. But to me, it seems like the number, unfortunately, is right within the Washington wheelhouse of the Obama team, which is now the Biden team. It's the same people. Iran's not having to deal with new people.

Yeah, sure, Jordan. I mean, it's not a gargantuan number. It's just a ticket, as they called it. And look, I mean, this is how it seems to work. It's how it worked in the Obama administration.

It's how it worked in the Biden administration. You've got an enemy of the United States. It doesn't matter if it's Iran or the Taliban. They are desperate to make a deal with the United States. And Jordan, the United States should hold all the leverage. They should hold all the cards. It should be the Taliban or it should be the Iranians who actually have to show good faith to come to the negotiating table. And yet you get them saying it's the United States that has to come to the table with the ticket. But look, I mean, Wes is 100 percent correct on this.

Jake Sullivan was driving the train on this the last time around, along with Wendy Sherman. What did they do then? They gave them the money. Jordan, I think everybody in Washington, D.C. thinks that the same players on essentially the same team are going to do the same thing. They're going to give them the money. And one other thing, Jordan, people like Rashida Tlaib in Congress, they're probably going to go along with it, even though they were the ones objecting to the one billion dollars for Israel in the Iron Dome.

That's just D.C. for you. I mean, this to me, I think it's very troubling. Same actors. And then, of course, when you put the same actors in place, some different actors in Iran, but it's the same deal, same framework, so that Washington doesn't have to create anything. You know, here's the thing that I think we have to be really clear. And I wondered, what is it that the Biden administration really expects going to happen here? I mean, do they really think for a minute that the Iranians are not going to hold out for this 10 billion dollars? Does the Biden administration really think for a minute that this is not exactly what Joe Biden want to happen? How do we know, in fact, that in these side negotiations that are going on right now, Jordan, that this didn't come up already in great detail? This is not leaked unintentionally.

This information is not out there by accident. It's out because they want to see what the United States will do. Because, unfortunately, they know exactly, I want to be really clear on this, they know exactly what the United States is going to do, no doubt. Yeah, Harry, I mean, what it appears to me is this is exactly what the Biden teams wanted. They've wanted some kind of, something that doesn't look so extreme on paper from Iran. So this is unfreezing assets, technically would not be a cost to U.S. tech. It's just the entire list of the ways that they sold it the first time, which was absurd.

And even with the history of knowing that it didn't work, removing ourselves from it, not seeing that that didn't endanger us in the world. But the Iranians know that this team is dying to get back to this deal. I mean, they created the deal. Your analysis is spot on, Jordan. Iran has a thriving shakedown racket going. Unfortunately for the United States, we have an extremely weak, extremely feckless administration that continues to shear this ship of state toward catastrophe.

In this case, catastrophe means that the Iranians move closer and closer to a nuclear weapon with an additional $10 billion in the bank. So while the Biden administration jazz band plays on, this, I think, is the definition of insanity. Even the German government rejects this overture by the Iranians. But yet the Biden administration appears not to be able to help itself in its willingness to surrender. And we should not be surprised at this. After all, the Biden administration surrendered to the Taliban. The Biden administration is continuing to surrender to illegal aliens who are streaming across our border. So I think at the end of the day, we should not be surprised if this deal goes forward. I think the American people, however, should take note and they should take action as soon as possible, particularly during the next election.

I think, too, unfortunately, Wes, the military top brass now also highly politicized. And I don't think that they're going to be opposed to this. I think that they've got the perfect storm for this specific deal, which they've I mean, you know, we've got Biden at the U.N. We've got he's putting in the same people. So the message was clear to the Iranians. I think they just they got a new President and they're trying to figure out what should we ask for?

What's what's what's actually reasonable for the U.S.? And I think they picked a number that's not going to scare the Biden team away. No, not at all. Not all. Iran is playing the United States. They've done it successfully before. They're simply doing it again.

It works for them. And like Harry said, you know, all of our adversaries are playing the Biden administration, whether it's Iran or the Taliban, you know, that we trusted to help us get our people out of Afghanistan or the people crossing the border illegally. They have the Biden administration figured out. At least they think so. And perhaps they do this.

This going back into the deal, it will not work. But the Biden administration seems to be blind to that obvious reality. All right, folks, next. Frank Maine is going to be joining us to discuss that horrible case out of the University of Vermont. Remember that nurse tricked into performing an abortion. We represented her in the Office of Civil Rights and HHS under the Trump administration, sent the University of Vermont a notice of violation, opened up an investigation. The Biden team shut it down. We are responding and asking the questions about why exactly that was shut down by the Biden team. We know ideologically that there's still these rights of these individuals.

So we're going to get an update from Frank Maine on that. We come back on Secular. It's called Mission Life. It will show you how you are personally impacting the pro-life battle through your support. And the publication includes a look at all major ACLJ pro-life cases, how we're fighting for the rights of pro-life activists, the ramifications of Roe v. Wade 40 years later, play on parenthood's role in the abortion industry and what Obamacare means to the pro-life movement. Discover the many ways your membership with the ACLJ is empowering the right to life.

Request your free copy of Mission Life today online at ACLJ dot org slash gift. The challenges facing Americans are substantial at a time when our values, our freedoms, our constitutional rights are under attack. It's more important than ever to stand with the American Center for Law and Justice. For decades now, the ACLJ has been on the front lines protecting your freedoms, defending your rights in courts, in Congress and in the public arena. And we have an exceptional track record of success.

But here's the bottom line. We could not do our work without your support. We remain committed to protecting your religious and constitutional freedoms.

That remains our top priority, especially now during these challenging times. The American Center for Law and Justice is on your side. If you're already a member, thank you. And if you're not, well, this is the perfect time to stand with us at ACLJ dot org, where you can learn more about our life changing work. Become a member today.

ACLJ dot org. Welcome back to Sekulow. We're going to take your phone calls to 1-800-684-3110. Frank Manion joining us now.

I'm holding my hands. This is the letter written to the acting director and principal deputy at the Office of Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Frank, I was just telling people before, they know the horrible story of our client, who was the nurse at the University of Vermont Medical Center, tricked into performing that abortion procedure, elective abortion procedure, and we represent her. The Trump administration, under their Health and Human Services and their Office of Civil Rights, opened up an investigation to the University of Vermont. The Biden administration shut it down. Tell people what action we're taking now. Sure, Jordan.

It's actually much worse than that. Not only did they open an investigation, they concluded the investigation with a notice of violation of civil rights issued to the University of Vermont. Then the Department of Justice, at the behest of HHS, filed a lawsuit against the University of Vermont to indicate not only our client's rights, but the rights of 10 other nurses at the same hospital that were similarly violated. Two months ago, we were informed by HHS Office of Civil Rights that they were withdrawing the notice of violation, and after that the Department of Justice dismissed its own case. So we're asking them today, and in that letter they told us that their investigation was ongoing, which is beyond ridiculous since the investigation concluded over a year ago with the finding of a violation.

So we're asking them today, sort of tongue-in-cheek, but more than that, to tell us how that investigation is going that you promised us. What we really need here is we need to get Xavier Becerra, the head of HHS and the head of the Office of Civil Rights, before a congressional committee to explain to the American people how a violation of civil rights in 2019 is no longer a violation of civil rights in 2021. And if there's anything to this more than the fact that the name at the top of the letterhead of HHS has changed, because it doesn't appear to be. Well, and this was, Dad, one of the more troubling stories that we've seen in the conscience clause area where this nurse was, it was known her objection to the abortion procedures and the hospital knew that, and the staff, including one of the doctors, tricked her in to the operating room and then said, don't hate us for doing this, and went ahead with this elective abortion. Yes, so, I mean, first of all, like Frank said, I mean, Xavier Becerra, can you think of anybody who would be worse in this kind of situation to have as the head of HHS than this guy? This was a guy that was compelling abortion clinics, excuse me, pro-life counseling centers, to advertise for abortion clinics. So, I mean, you really don't have anybody that could be worse in putting in charge of this. So, I find it ironic and troubling that, as Frank said and said correctly, a change of the letterhead, a change of administrations, and all of the policies change. And here, a nurse's civil rights and constitutional rights were violated, and I will tell you something. This is just, and I'd like to hear Frank's comment on this. This is why we have to be even more aggressive in court now, because we do not have an office of conscience objection that's functioning. That is correct, Jay.

Yeah, go ahead, Frank. Yeah, that's correct, and it's not going to end with this nurse's case, because as people have heard, just yesterday, the Biden administration reversed the former Trump administration's policy on funding under Title X, Title X, to family planning clinics. And in the comments that HHS provided with that, there's reference again to this conscience clause statute, which they are now interpreting in a much more restrictive way than Congress ever intended it to be interpreted, and every previous administration interpreted it.

And that's troubling, because we're seeing this now spreading throughout. And then, unfortunately, this comes in the same time when HHS has refunded through Title X, and the federal government and the Biden team has refunded Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers through the Title X family planning program. Yeah, Frank's right to draw that analogy happening the same week, and Jordan, I would underscore another similarity between these two issues. They're both in clear violation of the statute. I mean, when it comes to Title X and the funding for abortion providers there, the statute clearly says none of the funds appropriated under this title shall be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning. The reestablishment of that rule does exactly that, violates that statute. And then on the conscience side of things, as Frank has talked about so many times, the church amendments, the series of amendments that we together call the church amendments, they've been there for decades, Jordan. The problem was always enforcement. Finally, the last administration started to enforce them, and this Vermont case was maybe the best example of that. This administration, like Frank said, changed the letterhead.

They just exercised their prosecutorial discretion and threw the statutes out that should still apply. Jordan, this is what we meant when we opposed Xavier Becerra's nomination. We said, look, there's only one reason to pick this guy for it. It's not because he's got the medical background or the experience dealing with the pandemic or whatever it may be. It's because he will be a dogged advocate for abortion on demand and for a violation of the conscience rights that should attach to it. And the idea, too, I mean, this is more than, it is active hostility to the pro-life position.

The Biden administration, through all these players, and they try to talk that through Biden, this empathy and, oh, let's all come together. But they picked these individuals that we knew were not only pro-abortion, but were extremely hostile to people who happened to be pro-life. Well, I mean, could you think of anybody that would be more hostile to the pro-life cause than the people they're picking?

I mean, let's just be realistic. I mean, is there anybody out there that you're going to pick, anybody to be doing this, who is the last person you would pick to head up HHS? Okay, let's be clear. The last person you would pick to head HHS, if you wanted to be neutral, would be Xavier Becerra. So they intentionally picked the most pro-abortion person in their cabinet to head up a division that deals with these issues. So there you have it.

This was an aggressive attorney general of California who sought to basically put crisis pregnancy centers, pro-life women's centers out of business, and out of business to the extent where he was requiring them to advertise for the other side. I mean, think about that for a moment. Advertise for the other side.

If you do that, well then, you know, we'll let you stay in business. Here's where you can get your abortion. So, I mean, this is lunacy, but this is also the people that Joe Bynes picked. He's not a moderate on these issues, by the way. He is fully committed to this. No, this to me, we get into this the second half hour, but I think it comes at a time when there's this building up, this kind of drumbeat of new hostility to people with a pro-life position. And I think that you don't have to look at this kind of from the macro level of just the big funding, but look at the moves that they make. They're not going to even protect the individual's right. So it's not just the big issue, but it's also hostility to you if you're pro-life, if you're someone working in that medical field, and you've got these protections by law, but now they're no longer enforcing these protections.

We saw, really for the first time under the Trump administration, an active enforcement of these measures, which we all have as Americans, these rights. The nurse that we represent followed all the right steps, all the notifications. It wasn't like she just sprung this on the hospital randomly. They knew, and now they're trying to get away with it and trying to set a precedent that you can force people or even trick people into performing a procedure they believe is the taking of a human life. They believe is equal to murder, and that you can get away with that without being investigated by the government or having the notice of violation withdrawn from your record.

So you don't have to just, don't just look at it from 10,000 feet. Look at how they're treating individuals. Look at how they treat the pro-life viewpoint. They don't believe there's any space for you.

They don't believe there's any protections for you, and that is more evident by their actions every single day. We'll be right back. Second half hour coming up. At aclj.org, where you can learn more about our life changing work, become a member today. At aclj.org Keeping you informed and engaged. Now, more than ever, this is Sekulow. And now your host, Jordan Sekulow. Welcome back to Sekulow.

It's great to have Frank on. You can go to aclj.org as well to learn more about the work that we're doing to protect pro-life individuals, pro-life pregnancy centers, or legislation at the state level. We're doing all that at the ACLJ. I do want to shift back to the Iranian issue, so let me just reset the stage there. Iran is now out via their foreign ministry's office and spokesperson with an offer to the United States what it would take for the Biden team to get back, and we know that they want to go there. We know that they are hoping to get back to the negotiating table, so what would it take?

Well, Iran said, buy a ticket, $10 billion. Now, this is how they're selling it already, and they're helping the Biden team sell it. They're saying, well, these are our assets that are already frozen.

This isn't new resources. They already know, remember, from the Obama years, and this is the same people, that they can get pallets of cash. They got $1.7 billion then plus $400 million in cash. So this number is not outrageous, but it's not a number that says we will go back to the deal. This is getting us back to the table, and then they'll string that out for as long as they can. I think that they'll string it out for the entire first term of the Biden presidency to see if those same actors get a second term.

They know how our political system works in the U.S., so I think they'll drag it out as long as possible. We don't know what it would ultimately cost to get them to re-sign this deal, but the deal, the problem with the nuclear deal for the U.S., top line, just to go back, because it's been a decade since we re-signed this, that is a horrible deal. So even if we got back to this deal with Iran, it was a deal that didn't work. It was a deal that they were violating. The Iranians were violating the deal before the deal was even put into force.

In fact, when the United States pulled out, the European countries were still in. So this wasn't a situation where the United States was out and the deal was dead, and everybody knows that they were violating it, that the Iranians flaunted that they were violating it. So why would the United States be saying, we want $10 million, we'll release $10 billion to get you back to the table. Why aren't the Iranians just saying, we're glad to get back to the table?

Because they have no intent to do anything differently than they're already doing. And the world is kidding itself if it thinks this is anything but that. And we're putting the entire region back into jeopardy that, frankly, under the Trump administration, we did not experience, but now we're experiencing, about to experience again. So my concern here, quite frankly, Jordan, is the ramifications of all this at the end of the day become the Iranians get $10 billion more to spend on terrorism. Yeah, and they are putting out the signal, so they're going to U.S. press, U.S. media, and telling them, now, we had a silent period. They were Iran elected new President, he's a hardliner coming out of the judiciary, he's one of the Ayatollahs, so he's not a civilian, and someone who could be in line to be the next supreme leader. This is the kind of person they chose to make this strength move after we took out the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

So they've been kind of rebuilding to it. How are they going to re-engage this new administration? Well, take a listen, they're telling Andrea Mitchell because they're telling the Biden team now publicly. Can you project how quickly you might return to the talks? We will keep the window of diplomacy and negotiations open, and we will very soon return to the negotiations.

Sounds to me like the deal's already signed. As you catch the Iranian government in it, and how many violations of the original Iran nuclear deal, you know, how much violence and terrorism does Iran have to export, they continue to do that, before the Biden administration realizes that they are not negotiating in good faith, and that this deal is still as hollow and flawed and dangerous as it was in the beginning. Alright folks, we come back, we'll get into this more.

1-800-684-3110, if you want to weigh in, that's 1-800-684-3110 on this. We're talking about, you know, so much is retreaded from the Obama years that it can sound like we're replaying an old show, but it's not an old show, it's 2021, and it's the same actors, they're back in charge now, and they are, I'm sure, very happy that Iran said, it's already a done deal to get back into negotiations, not that we'll sign the deal. So it seems like that $10 billion has already been green-lined, we'll be right back. The challenges facing Americans are substantial, at a time when our values, our freedoms, our constitutional rights are under attack, it's more important than ever to stand with the American Center for Law and Justice. For decades now, the ACLJ has been on the front lines, protecting your freedoms, defending your rights, in courts, in Congress, and in the public arena. And we have an exceptional track record of success, but here's the bottom line, we could not do our work without your support. We remain committed to protecting your religious and constitutional freedoms, that remains our top priority, especially now, during these challenging times. The American Center for Law and Justice is on your side.

If you're already a member, thank you. And if you're not, well, this is the perfect time to stand with us at ACLJ.org, where you can learn more about our life-changing work. Become a member today, ACLJ.org.

Only when a society can agree that the most vulnerable and voiceless deserve to be protected, is there any hope for that culture to survive. And that's exactly what you are saying when you stand with the American Center for Law and Justice, to defend the right to life. We've created a free, powerful publication offering a panoramic view of the ACLJ's battle for the unborn.

It's called Mission Life. It will show you how you are personally impacting the pro-life battle through your support. And the publication includes a look at all major ACLJ pro-life cases, how we're fighting for the rights of pro-life activists, the ramifications of Roe v. Wade 40 years later, play on parenthood's role in the abortion industry, and what Obamacare means to the pro-life movement. Discover the many ways your membership with the ACLJ is empowering the right to life.

Request your free copy of Mission Life today online at ACLJ.org slash gift. This is the Wall Street Journal editorial board quote, so far the main organizing principle of Mr. Biden's diplomacy from Russia to Iran and beyond has been to throw away leverage and hope adversaries return the favor. If talks resume, the first question the Biden administration should be asked is whether it paid for the privilege.

We now know, Harry, that we are going to be paying for some privilege. The Iranians seem confident, and they've been very quiet, so now they've come out, they said exactly what they want economically, they want these assets unfrozen, and that will get them back to the negotiating table. And they even said to NBC News, the negotiations are going to begin soon.

Absolutely, and I suspect there's already been an agreement to continue these negotiations, and I think there's no reason why the Iranians should not be confident. After all, they're dealing with the Biden administration. They're dealing with an administration that seems without any real principles, except perhaps the next political game that they are playing. But I think at the end of the day, the American people need to push back against this deal, whether it's already been signed or not. We cannot continue to fund terrorist regimes. It's not in America's interest, it's not in the interest of our strongest ally in the Middle East. And at the end of the day, this propels Iran, at least in my view, toward getting a nuclear weapon no matter what President Biden has said at the United Nations.

So I think at the end of the day, what is lacking within the Biden administration is the will to put American interests and the interest of our allies first. And until that changes, I think Iran will continue to win the diplomatic war that they've engaged in with the United States and with our other allies. Nothing has actually changed in Iran. Still the same supreme leader, still funding terror. What did happen was that they were isolated from the world. Like the Palestinians, I think the Iranians were treated the same way. The Trump team said, we're done with this deal and we're not going to negotiate with you.

We're not going to check in with you on how we're going to move forward with any of our plans in the Middle East. Yes, exactly. And I think what Professor Hutchinson just said really bears repeating here. And that is the whole idea that, and of course this is really the thesis of the Wall Street Journal editorial, and that is this idea that you fund them money and it goes into general services for their citizens. No, this funds rockets, it funds terrorism, it funds Hezbollah, it funds Hamas. And you could say that over and over again, but we know where this is going. The irony of all of this is at the end of the day, does anybody doubt that there will be a new deal sign and the Iranians will be flaunting it like they always do? And we're going to put the entire region in harm's way again. And they're doing anything that the previous administration did, whatever the Trump administration did, they want to do the opposite. That's the modus operandi. And that's what Harry is saying and what you've been saying here is so correct. And it's so troubling also that we've reached the point in our foreign diplomacy where the Wall Street Journal is saying we are paying to be at the table.

We are paying to be at the table. That's a pretty scary thought when you're in the United States of America. To a weakened Iran. I mean, it's not like, listen, they export their terror. We took out their head terrorist. We took out their leader. They made a lot of threats since then. But the truth is it's a country that's constantly in shambles and we're bailing them out. Yeah, absolutely.

You know, your dad's right. The Trump policies worked. But reflexively, I mean, just in a reactionary way, President Biden reverses any policy that was Donald Trump's, even if it worked. Under the Trump administration, we withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal because it was flawed and we realized it was not going to keep them from acquiring a nuclear weapon. And so President Trump withdrew from that agreement and increased sanctions. During President Trump's presidency, the Iranian GDP shrank by 60%. Businesses were refusing to do business there or locate there or invest in Iran because they were fearful of the long term repercussions of the sanctions. All of that's going on and it actually worked.

They were isolated. The people in the streets of Iran were actually threatening to topple the regime. All of that happened and all of that is going away because we will go back to the table. Unfortunately, we will pay them billions of dollars. They will continue to export terror. And eventually, unless we change what we're doing, they will indeed acquire a nuclear weapon unless the state of Israel stops that. Listen to this. This is the Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett.

He's addressing the U.N. and you think if you were describing this country to anyone, you would think it would cost, first of all, you think that country would be hoping if they even wanted to negotiate with the U.S. and if they were going to do it in good faith, regardless. But they're not because of who they are. Take a listen. This is who Iran is. They're not changing. They haven't stopped and they've had over a decade to show that they're not going to get any better.

But they do need these bailouts every once in a while and that's what they're looking for from the Biden team to get some hands on U.S. cash. Take a listen. While Israel strives to do good, we cannot lose sight for one moment of what's happening in our neighborhood. Israel is quite literally surrounded by Hezbollah, Shia militias, Islamic Jihad and Hamas on our borders. These terror groups seek to dominate the Middle East and spread radical Islam across the world.

What do they all have in common? They all want to destroy my country and they're all backed by Iran. So, I mean, the fact that that is, you can go through that litany of support for the groups and movements that are the most destabilizing in the Middle East and say, well, the one common factor there, Wes, is that they're all getting money from Iran and safe havens from Iran. Yeah, Iran, and this is one of the things that our Arab partners in the Middle East realized under the Trump administration and all that happened with the Abraham Accords. They realized that the threat to peace and stability in that entire part of the world was not Israel. It was Iran.

And they had a common enemy, a common adversary in Iran. They cannot be trusted. They do not negotiate in good faith. They are intent on lying and cheating until they acquire a nuclear weapon. That's reality.

Psychologists tell us that the first indication of insanity is when we break from reality. That's the reality of the Iran we face today. And it seems like the Biden administration is going to be willfully ignorant of who they are and what they're about. And it's a threat to peace in the region.

It's also a threat to peace and stability in the world. Is it the way that they framework, just to go back to that, because when Congress passed the framework that opened up the Obama administration for being able to move forward with Iran, same framework. So does Congress have to weigh in again for any kind of moves like this?

Yeah, likely not, Jordan. I mean, this is something we were heavily critical of the United States Senate of the first time around. And by the way, it included quite a few Republicans that went along with it. It was called the Iranian Nuclear Review Act. And basically, they preemptively said, if you send us a deal or a framework, the JCPOA, we would actually have to vote to vote it down. Jordan, that's the exact inverse, as you know, of what should happen in a situation like this. It should be framed as a treaty. It should be presented to the United States Senate, and there should be a supermajority that passes it. But they preemptively acted to turn that on its head. And in all likelihood, Jordan, they would just send a framework over that met that same criteria. I don't even think they would have to take a vote to not disprove it.

I think it would just go into effect. And one other point I just wanted to make quickly, Jordan, when you talk about Israel, it really is a one-two punch here. This is not just the United States cozy and up to our enemies. This really is the United States in some ways selling out or at least squeezing our allies. You mentioned the meetings that are taking place in D.C. this week between the United States, Jake Sullivan in this case, and Israel officials. Jordan, how much do you want to bet? The ask on the table from the United States in those meetings is that Israel also unfreeze their assets. To me, that's probably the ask that's on the table there.

It's really a one-two punch. Yeah, I mean, Rachel on YouTube wrote, does the U.S. really have $10 billion to give them? This is the trick of this move. This is how the Iranians are playing this out. Harry, just quickly, the way that this will be sold to all of this is, well, we're not actually giving $10 billion to Iran. It will be new cash for them because these were their assets that were frozen. It goes back to 1979 when their assets were frozen after their Islamic Revolution. I think you're right. I think it'll be relatively easy for the Biden administration to sell this particular deal.

Why? Because the American media is very, very compliant. But lastly, I would point out that this deal also, probably in the long run, benefits another enemy, China. I just don't know why these guys are so obsessed with sitting at the table with such horrendous actors on the world stage. Whether it is, again, trying to placate the Taliban, trying to placate the Iranian, it's baffling. It's upsetting, it's frustrating, but it is reality. And when Iran put this number out, we thought, OK, we've got to focus on this today because this is, like the Iranian spokesperson said, don't worry, the negotiations will start soon. They have a lot of confidence.

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Become a member today, ACLJ.org. We could do the show today without focusing in a bit on the Democrat infighting or whether the Democrat Party is imploding on itself. Now, I will tell you this, I always think that you can write off and say, you know, they're done. Some of this is gamesmanship. Some of it is a party which is starting to figure out, which Republicans have been dealing with for decades, what a big tent party means. The Democrats haven't been used to that. They haven't been the big tent party. They've been the party of, you believe this, you vote this way, you follow the leadership, eventually you get to be in leadership, and then you'll do the same thing. There might have been one or two actors that didn't follow that to a T. But even they, most of the time, could be brought along.

They would ultimately be reliable votes, like the Joe Manchin types, that they might have to parade out, they might have to charm, they might have to do a couple extra meetings for, put something in the legislation for, but ultimately they would get what they want. So, let me go to Thad in Washington DC, because Thad, how much of this is posturing, and how much of it is real that the Democrat Party is going through what appears to be the first time that they really can't keep things under control? It's a mix, Jordan. I mean, I think the feud is definitely real. I mean, I think there's actually quite a bit of acrimony between the various sanctions. Now, obviously, clearly some of it's drama as well. We talked about just a couple of days ago, that contract between Leader Schumer and Joe Manchin that came out on, you know, they signed it on July 28th, but then they let their party feud for two months before the October 1st date that was literally in the contract came to be. So that part, Jordan, is made up.

But I would tell you a couple of things. First of all, I would agree with you that in Washington DC, when there are dollars on the table, especially when the Democrat Party controls every lever of government, you always should bet on some version of that passing. I think they'll probably pull together and pass something.

It'll be a lower number probably than the $3.5 trillion that was on the table initially. But Jordan, look, Speaker Pelosi had to pull the vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill, not just once, not just twice, three times. She had to push it back. She prides herself on having the votes when it's necessary. So the fact she has not been able to take that vote shows you that the feud is definitely, definitely real. And Jordan, I would tell you, it shows me one other thing in this fight between so-called moderates in the Democrat Party and the progressives or the squad or whatever you want to label that group. Jordan, it's the progressives that are definitely driving that bus. Yeah, and they're driving the bus.

They're also driving the activism, which, you know, the people are getting chased into bathrooms, U.S. Senators being chased into bathrooms. President Biden asks about it.

He shrugs his shoulders like this is no big deal. Bite number three. Mr. President, you're talking about how you have 48 Democratic votes right now. The other two have been pressured over the weekend by activists. Joe Manchin had people on kayaks show up to his boat, P.L.

Adams. Senator Sinema last night was chased into a restroom. Do you think that those tactics are crossing a line?

I don't think they're appropriate tactics, but it happens to everybody. The only people it doesn't happen to are people who have Secret Service standing around them. So it's part of the process. Joe Biden has not been in reality for most of his life.

He's been a politician. So most people, I will say, don't get chased into bathrooms. Most people don't have Secret Service either.

But U.S. Senators have security. So the fact that the activists on the left are promoting the idea. Just imagine this Republican activist chasing down these Democrats. They would be called insurrectionists.

They would be ready to label them domestic terrorists. But when Joe Biden's asked about this to a Democrat that's not going along with what he wants to do, he downplays it. This is no joke, Dan. This is scary stuff in Washington. This to me shows more of the downfall of the Democrat Party than just the infighting. It's that if you get the President of the United States to start justifying bad behavior, I know he doesn't live in reality and hasn't for a long time. But let me tell you, there's no way you were chasing down Joe Biden to a bathroom when he was a U.S.

Senator. No, that's absolutely correct. And I'll take it. You know, Jordan is kind of really falling off with what you just said. This is not a situation of infighting.

Okay. I mean, let's be really clear. This is a struggle for the control of the party. And Joe Biden, who happens to be the President of the United States, is kind of caught in the middle of all of this trying to figure out what direction he goes in because he doesn't know which way is the safe way. You know, he was always a consensus builder when he was in the United States Senate.

I know Joe Biden, and we work with him on some things, and especially when President Bush was trying to get judicial nominees through. But now he's got this rebellion on his hard left that may not be large. You've said this the other day. It may not be large in numbers, but it is carrying a lot of influence right now, and I think that's impacting all of this.

Yeah, well, it's enough, Wes, to stop the votes. It's also, I think that if, you know, average people see this, and they see the video that's been played in the media, but it's the idea of just, usually we think you can dim that, and we move along. Not justify it or say, well, this is just what you have to deal with. It's egging on that kind of behavior.

And that does get dangerous because that person who takes that step of following you to a bathroom with a camera, the next steps are not that far away. Yeah, yeah, it's ugly. And for the President to minimize this and to sort of laugh it off, actually to literally laugh it off, is pretty unbelievable. These are two members of his own party who are standing on principle.

Joe Manchin has called some of these bills fiscal insanity. And because they're standing on principle, it is okay that ugly activists chase them down and harass them. That shouldn't be happening in America. And yet, this same administration, Jordan, just yesterday, the Attorney General announced they're going to investigate parents at school board meetings because they're there protesting and having their voices heard at a school board meeting. So it's okay for U.S. senators to be harassed by left-wing activists, but if parents are concerned about their children's education, the FBI will investigate them. It's unconscionable. That being said too, Harry, it's hard to imagine a Christian cinema or others who may have been questioned to say, well, if this is the kind of behavior that they're going to encourage, I'm not going to go along with what they want.

I think that's correct. So I think many of these maneuvers will backfire, but it's also important to keep in mind that these tactics have been patented by the left for quite some time. So who could forget Maxine Waters suggesting that the voters get in the face of every single Republican, that you basically chase them out of restaurants. And so this type of behavior, unhinged behavior by members of the left, I think will indeed continue. And I believe the attorney general will continue to exhibit his own commitment to one-sided analysis because he will only go after parents who are trying to protect their kids at a school board meeting. He is not launching an investigation in left-wing attacks on people from Congress and the Senate.

He's not launching an investigation with respect to stopping what Maxine Waters has unleashed. You know, Thad, where do you see this going ultimately in Washington? So they say they're going to come back at the end of the month and they're letting everything, I guess they're trying to let things calm down. Ultimately, do you think the Democrats get what they want for the most part here?

We're not used to that. What do you think? Well, the end of the month deadline is Speaker Pelosi's, I think, fourth deadline on this bill, Jordan. So that's not real. I would not tell you she's going to hold to that timeline. They'll probably pass something eventually, Jordan, but I would tell you Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema hold all of the cards here because guess what? Chasing a female senator into a restroom, Jordan, that doesn't help your cause. That entrenches their opposition to it. And they have to get both those votes to move the reconciliation bill. I mean, they're chasing people around with the cameras into bathrooms and then they get the President of the United States saying, oh, it's no big deal.

This is what they signed up for. Unlike me, I've got Secret Service protection, so it won't happen to me, but it's okay for the U.S. Senator. We'll talk to you tomorrow on Secular. For decades now, the ACLJ has been on the front lines protecting your freedoms, defending your rights in courts, in Congress and in the public arena. The American Center for Law and Justice is on your side. If you're already a member, thank you. And if you're not, well, this is the perfect time to stand with us at ACLJ.org where you can learn more about our life changing work. Become a member today. ACLJ.org.