The Biden Administration has paid a $6 billion ransom for five Americans held hostage in Iran. Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL), in an interview with NewsMax, excoriated the Administration's consideration, calling it "outrageous" and promising to "put the Iranians back in their box" if elected President in 2024.
X (Twitter) account DeSantis War Room posted the clip.
DeSantis tears into Biden’s “outrageous” decision to give $6 billion to Iran.
“Biden has sent a signal to hostile regimes that if you take Americans, you could potentially profit…A rogue regime should know that if you touch the hair on the head of any American, you will have… pic.twitter.com/Ode7lYTOeL
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) August 16, 2023
Five U.S. citizens have been held prisoner in Iran for espionage charges, which the U.S. classified as "wrongfully detained," with hostage Siamak Namazi held since 2015. Recently, the Biden Administration paid $6 billion to the Iranian government to free them.
Gov. DeSantis unfavorably compared the negotiations to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal under President Obama, adding that the ransom paid will only incentivize hostile nations to kidnap Americans.
"I think it is outrageous. This is a President who is obsessed with trying to have some sort of cozy relationship with the Iranian mullahs. That is not in the nation's interest. That goes back to the Obama Iran deal, [Biden] wants to impose that again. Actually, an ever worse deal is what he is trying to do. And think about what is going to happen with this money. It is going to tell people to take Americans," said DeSantis.
He also chastised the Biden Administration for paying the money, even though the Iranian government will put it towards financing terrorism in the Middle East and aiding Russia's war in Ukraine.
"When I get in as President, we are going to turn the screws on Iran because they are funding terrorism. They have been a huge supporter of Russia over these last couple of years. And so that is a choice that Biden is making, and it is the wrong choice. So we will put the Iranians back in their box. I will turn the screws on them because they represent a threat to the world with their pursuit of nuclear weapons," DeSantis continued.
Finally, when asked if the recent deal with Iran signals a decrease in safety for Americans in certain parts of the world, DeSantis answered, "Certainly, to some extent."
"Certainly, to some extent, yes of course they are. I think that [Biden] has sent a signal to hostile regimes that if you take Americans, you could potentially profit by doing so. And that is not the incentive that you want to do. A rogue regime should want to know that if you touch the hair on the head of any American you are going to have hell to pay," DeSantis concluded.
