Schumer Slams Trump for Being Insufficiently Hawkish on Iran: ‘What Kind of Bull Is This?’

Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) criticized President Donald Trump from the right over the administration’s negotiations with Iran.

During his first term in 2018, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for inspections on Iran’s nuclear facilities. In 2020, Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani while Soleimani was visiting Iraq.

Since then, Iran has upped its uranium enrichment to around 60%, according International Atomic Energy Agency. Uranium that is enriched to 90% is considered to be weapons-grade.

On Monday, Axios reported that Trump officials had offered Iran a deal that would allow the country to enrich uranium for non-military purposes. Conservatives and pro-Israel advocates responded by slamming the administration. The negotiations are being spearheaded by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

On Monday night, Schumer added his voice to the chorus by posting a video of himself blasting Trump. In doing so, Schumer used the “TACO” acronym – Trump Always Chickens Out – that some investors reportedly use to describe the president’s tendency to back away, at least partially, from the tariffs he has imposed on other countries.

“When it comes to negotiating with the terrorist government of Iran, Trump’s all over the lot,” Schumer said. “One day he sounds tough, the next day he’s backing off. And now, all of a sudden, we find out that Witkoff and Rubio are negotiating a secret side deal with Iran. What kind of bull is this? They’re gonna sound tough in public and then have a side deal that lets Iran get away with everything? That’s outrageous. We need to make that side deal public. Any side deal should be before Congress and most importantly the American people. If TACO Trump is already folding, the American public should know about it. No side deals.”

Trump has long been critical of Schumer and repeatedly accused him of being a “Palestinian,” as though that were an insult.