The hapless Marie Harf was “perplexed” again.
This time, the topic was a New York Times story Tuesday that reported that Iran had increased its nuclear fuel stockpile over the past year and a half – all the while negotiating with Harf’s boss on a deal that’s supposed to prevent the murderous mullahs from getting a nuclear bomb soon.
According to The Times, Western officials conducting those talks were taken by surprise by the increase, which was reported Friday by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
That’s the part Harf didn’t understand.
“Our team read that story this morning and was quite frankly perplexed because the main contentions of it are totally inaccurate,” she told reporters during a news briefing Tuesday, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
Beyond parody. RT Harf: We’re All ‘Totally Perplexed’ by NYT Story on #Iran’s Increased Nuclear Stockpile http://t.co/AAldCzaYmd
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) June 3, 2015
To be fair, it wasn’t the story itself Harf found perplexing. (Her master’s degree in foreign affairs proves she can at least read English.) It was the story’s idea that the U.S. didn’t know Iran was building up more nuclear fuel that bothered her.
Of course we knew it, she said in essence. That’s why we’re having negotiations. So they can reduce the stockpiles again.
@FreeBeacon Nice try. As I made clear, the arguments in the article are just wrong – perplexed the @nytimes would print such inaccuracies
— Marie Harf (@marieharf) June 2, 2015
The problem with Harf’s argument — besides not making any sense on its face — is that it doesn’t match the administration’s earlier spin. In March, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said pretty much the exact opposite, the Free Beacon reported.
So Marie Harf, the newly named spokeswoman in charge of communications about the Iran nuclear talks for Secretary of State John Kerry is making arguments that don’t line up with earlier lines put out by the spokesman for her boss’s boss. And people are noticing.
No wonder she’s perplexed. And no wonder Twitter users weren’t surprised to hear it.
@RadioFreeTom Harf would be perplexed by trying to add 2 + 2.
— Fork Road (@sasso333) June 3, 2015
Getting the spin straight: Josh Earnest accepted the premise of the NYT story on Iran’s nuclear stockpile, while Harf said story was wrong.
— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) June 2, 2015
Iran is cheating on its nuclear commitments? Who’da thunk it? http://t.co/PjsPUeH0J6
— Nevet Basker (@NevetB) June 2, 2015
When is Marie Harf not “perplexed”? https://t.co/5Tho99g52o
— Pure Spitfire (@RebekahSK) June 3, 2015
This might sum up the general view of Harf’s brainpower.
#MarieHarf is Perplexed just from using the word perplexed
— Cruz4Pres – Jen (@jensan1332) June 3, 2015
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