- US President Trump and Fox's Peter Doocy discuss the Iran peace deal at G7 Summit in Switzerland
- Trump criticizes US media, claiming biased coverage on Iran and his administration's achievements
- The Islamabad Memorandum calls for an immediate halt to military operations and US troop withdrawal
An exchange between US President Donald Trump and Fox News reporter Peter Doocy circulated online this week, hours after the peace deal with Iran was signed. At a press conference in Switzerland - where Trump attended the G7 Summit before signing the deal - Doocy reminded the president of a remark he made in 2020, during his first term.
"I just want to ask you about this..." Doocy began, "A wise man once said, in January of 2020, 'Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation.' That wise man..." Trump then jumped in. "Who said that?" he asked, though he knew the answer.
"Donald Trump," Doocy replied. "That's what I thought you were going to say," Trump smirked.
Behind the quips lay Doocy's question - a problem right up the wheelhouse of a president who routinely refers to himself as 'the world's greatest deal-maker'. "How do you," Doocy asked, "convince a skeptical American public that this deal... "
In jumped Trump.
"Well, look, here they lost militarily, okay? It's very tough, because I know that no matter what - if I would go, by the way, if I'd go another three or four weeks, those same people that are critical would say he went too long, he shouldn't have... "
What emerged then seemed US media bashing rather than an answer to the question.
If they (i.e., Iran) raised the white flag of surrender, and if they said, 'Praise be to Allah, Donald Trump is the greatest president ever, we totally concede, we totally give up, this war is over, we have failed', The New York Times and CNN and a couple of others - they're not all (i.e., the other American news publications) that dishonest - they'd say 'Iran had a great victory', okay?
Trump also rambled on about the Times not reporting the defeat of Iran's navy.
"...the Times refused to do a story on it. They said, 'What would you do? They don't have a Navy'. And you don't want to do a story on them - they don't have an Air Force... you don't want to... We need a fair press. And that's why they're all doing so badly, because they lost credibility."
For many the exchange underlined the sometimes chaotic-sometimes antagonistic relationship between the president and US media, particularly over contentious topics like immigration, trade tariffs and, over the past four months, the war in Iran.
Trump has routinely criticised the media for spreading 'fake news' about his administration, referring to reportage critical of the president's handling of the economy and foreign policy. The Times, CNN, NBC, CBS, and ABC are among the news networks he frequently targets. At the G7 Summit, for example, he called ABC "the worst", and NBC and CNN "terrible".
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"No matter what I do, I'm going to get bad press," he complained of the networks' attempts to hold him to account.
The Iran peace deal
Titled the 'Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran', the document calls for an "immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon".
The US has committed to removing its blockade of Iran ports within 30 days, after which shipping traffic is expected to be restored to pre-war levels. It is also required to withdraw its military from the region within 30 days of a final deal.
These and other conditions in the agreement have raised eyebrows back in the US, with many questioning if the 'Art of the Deal' author had, in fact, secured the best possible terms. One of the biggest questions is over the suspension of sanctions on oil and petrochemical product sales and derivates, which will allow Iran to raise substantial revenue from the sale of crude oil.
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Republican senator Bill Cassidy joined that line of critics Thursday morning with a sharp X post. "Iran's nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future..." he said, arguing that lifting sanctions will allow Iran to finance the rebuild of its military force and, possibly, nuclear ambitions.
Other aspects of the deal, such as the unfreezing of nearly $170 billion in Iranian goverment funds and assets, have also been red flagged by more hawkish Republicans, as is the committment to a $300 billion 'investment fund' for reconstruction in Iran.
Doocy's question, therefore, is not unimportant. Trump's approval rating ticked a percentage point higher this week - to 36 per cent - after a peace deal was confirmed and public dissatisfaction over the cost of living grew less intense. But criticism of the Iran deal - particularly by those within his party - could send those numbers dropping again before the November mid-terms.
