Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., condemned former President Barack Obama’s “weak” Iran nuclear accord, saying he wants President Trump to forge a tougher agreement with North Korea following his historic summit with Kim Jong Un in Singapore.
“I opposed the [Obama] deal. I didn’t think it was strong enough. I thought the inspection regime was weak,” Schumer told John Catsimatidis’ “The Cats Roundtable” program in an interview that aired Sunday on New York’s AM 970 radio station.
“I certainly want to see a stronger one in North Korea than the one that was proposed in Iran, where we depended on the European nations before we could inspect any new places. And I don’t trust the Europeans, particularly when it comes to Israel,” he continued.
But Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, criticized Trump over his approach to negotiating with Kim because the U.S. “didn’t gain much” in last week’s talks, arguing Kim received international recognition and the prospect of relaxed economic sanctions.
“China said they’re going to reduce sanctions, and the president didn’t seem to mind. It was the sanctions that forced North Korea to the table,” Schumer said.
“I opposed the Iran agreement because I thought it wasn’t strong enough. Well, it seems that what we’re doing with North Korea is even weaker than what Obama did with Iran,” he added. “The beginnings are not auspicious.”
