Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt and MSNBC host Ali Velshi got into an explosive argument on Thursday over the Trump administration’s approach to Iran.

Appearing on “Velshi & Ruhle,” Hewitt defended President Trump and his administration’s handling of Iran and various other Middle East countries. He said the administration has been a success in foreign policy, especially compared to Barack Obama’s administration.

Hewitt had previously penned a Washington Post column defending the Trump administration and National Security Advisor John Bolton, which quickly became the center of the conversation on MSNBC.

In the piece, Hewitt wrote some very positive words about Bolton. Hewitt wrote that Bolton’s “clarity and intelligence have long cowed his opponents inside the Beltway.” This glowing praise did not sit well with Velshi.

Velshi opened the segment by calling Bolton a war hawk and criticizing the current handling of Iran.

Hewitt responded by calling Iran a “theocracy run by a dictator.” He also accused the country of supplying missiles to Hezbollah. He then provided examples of terror attacks committed by Iran.

“I could say all this stuff about the Saudis,” Velshi replied. “What’s changed?”

“I don’t think you could say they act like the Iranian regime. The Iranian regime exports chaos, they are terrorist organization,” Hewitt responded.

“Hugh Hewitt! Hugh! Just stop for heaven’s sake!” Velshi said, interrupting his guest. He then pointed out that Saudi Arabia fits the same criteria as Iran, but is treated better by the Trump administration.

The debate between Velshi and Hewitt then began imploding.

Velshi then accused Hewitt of “inventing the situation.” He continued his Saudi Arabia argument, saying the nation should be as much of an enemy of the United States as Iran is.

“I’m not inventing anything,” Hewitt eventually responded. He then argued there are major differences between Iran and Saudi Arabia as Saudi Arabia does not pose the same direct threat to the United States.

Velshi then argued the United States should never have pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, set up while Barack Obama was president. Hewitt countered that the deal never changed Iran’s aggressive behavior and therefore, the United States had every right to back out of the deal once President Trump took office.

Check out the full fiery exchange below:

Tensions between the United States and Iran have been especially high in recent days as American intelligence recently reported that Iran had placed missiles on small boats on the Persian Gulf. Some have argued that this move could potentially lead to the Middle Eastern country attacking American troops or assets.

Asked during a visit with the Swiss president, Ueli Maurer, whether there would be war between Iran and the United States, Trump simply replied, “I hope not.”

The president recently lashed out at various mainstream media outlets that were reporting on “infighting” within the White House when it comes to what approach to take with Iran.

“The Fake News Washington Post, and even more Fake News New York Times, are writing stories that there is infighting with respect to my strong policy in the Middle East. There is no infighting whatsoever,” tweeted Trump.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1128739520311066626

He added, “Different opinions are expressed and I make a decisive and final decision – it is a very simple process. All sides, views, and policies are covered. I’m sure that Iran will want to talk soon.”

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1128739521753907202

• Author
• Recent Posts

Zachary Leeman

Staff Writer
[email protected]

Zachary Leeman is originally from Maine, he served in the United States Army Reserve for six years. He currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Latest posts by Zachary Leeman (see all)

• Alleged child molester becomes suspect in assault against 8-yr-old after bail-out from ‘freedom’ charity - December 6, 2019
• MSNBC analyst announces she’s running for Judge Jeanine’s old DA seat: ‘She will not be my role model’ - December 6, 2019
• ‘Get your words straight, jack!’ Biden loses it when man asks about Burisma, challenges him to ‘pushup’ contest - December 5, 2019

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.