White House ally fumes as Trump mulls 'terrible' Iran 'end game'

During the United States' 2016 GOP presidential primary, conservative radio host/columnist Hugh Hewitt was a frequent critic of Donald Trump — who he said lacked "the temperament to be president." But after Trump became the nominee, Hewitt supported him. And his pro-Trump columns in the Washington Post became a major contrast to the Never Trump views of conservative Post columnists George Will, Max Boot and Kathleen Parker.

In a column published by right-wing Fox News' website on May 7, however, Hewitt expresses strong reservations about a possible Trump agreement in the Iran war.

Trump, Hewitt argues, is reportedly weighing a deal with Iran that would be "terrible" if he goes through with it.

"Since the battle with Iran began on February 28," Hewitt writes, "there have been so many reports of 'deals' with the rump regime atop the ruins of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that it seems almost silly to respond to another one. But Israeli journalist Amit Segal usually cross-checks all reports of deals — including the most recent one from Axios' Barak Ravid — with senior Israeli officials, so I pay attention to Segal’s posts. On Wednesday, (May 6), Segal quoted Ravid, posting on X: 'According to @BarakRavid the U.S. and Iran are at the closest point to an agreement since the war began.'"

The "framework" on that possible agreement discussed by Segal and Ravid, Hewitt notes, reportedly includes: "The U.S. and Iranian naval blockade will be gradually lifted during the detailed negotiation period. The United States will commit, in the memorandum of understanding, to gradually lift sanctions and release tens of billions of dollars from frozen assets…. Two sources claimed that Iran would agree to transfer the highly enriched uranium it possesses out of the country."

Hewitt goes on to describe his reasons for opposing such an agreement.

"That would be a terrible 'deal,' one that would draw fierce criticism from the GOP's Iran hawks who want President Trump to 'finish the job' and do so in dramatic fashion," Hewitt says. "The 'end game' doesn’t have to be humiliation of the remnants of the rump regime atop the ruins of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps atop the shattered Iranian 'government.' But they are 'lunatics,' as both President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have called them — 'insane in the head,' Rubio added Tuesday from the White House press podium — and that's generous. The 'leaders' left standing in Iran (the ones with the guns at least) are fanatical killers who cannot be trusted."

Hewitt continues, "The blockade should stay in place until full commercial traffic to every country not named Iran resumes through the Gulf…. Finally, the regime must turn on the internet for its people and turn off the money spigot for Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. These are reasonable demands, and the fanatics in Iran — unless they are irrational (they may be) — must see them as such. President Trump doesn't surrender leverage. He's got it. We have to hope he uses every ounce of it."

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