BRUSHBACK

Obama Rips Question on Hostages in Iran

“That’s nonsense and you know it.”

CBS News’s Major Garrett asked President Obama at a press conference Wednesday if he was “content” with four Americans held in Iranian jails while his administration celebrated the nuclear deal. “Can you tell the country, sir, why you are content with all the fanfare around this deal to leave the conscience of this nation, the strength of this nation unaccounted for in relation to these four Americans?” Garrett asked. “That’s nonsense and you should know better,” Obama bit back. “Nobody’s ‘content’ and our diplomats and our teams are working diligently to try to get them out.” Garrett later brushed off the scolding on CBS’s news streaming network, saying, “Clearly, it struck a nerve. That was my intention...Was it provocative? Yes. Was it intended to be as such? Absolutely.” The Daily Beast’s Shane Harris reported yesterday that the Americans came up during negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. “We believe very strongly that this is an opportunity for Iran to let the Americans come home,” an administration official said.