U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley charged Wednesday that former Secretary of State John Kerry’s ongoing talks with Iran are “anti-American,” as they make it harder for the Trump administration to
“What Secretary Kerry did was not only disrespectful, it was hurtful to America,” Haley said on Fox News.
“When we’re sitting there trying to get Iran to come to the table in a way that they understand the ballistic missile testing has to stop, the support of terrorism has to stop, they have to quit selling arms to the Houthis … to have another American go in and say, ‘don’t worry about,’ that absolutely is anti-American,” she said. “And it was hurtful to the American people.”
Kerry has admitted he stays in touch with Iran’s foreign minister, with whom he worked to secure the Iran nuclear deal that President Trump has rejected. Kerry has insisted he is not “coaching” Iran on how to deal with a Trump administration that they both oppose, but Trump has said Kerry’s meetings are “illegal” and aimed at hurting the American people.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the meetings were “beyond inappropriate.”
Kerr defended himself by saying former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger continues to meet with his former counterparts overseas years after he left office. But Haley said Kissinger communicates to the Trump administration what he is doing, while Kerry does not.
“Secretary Kerry… we didn’t know that conversation happened. We didn’t know what he was doing,” she said.
