ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Varney & Co. on Fox Business to Discuss Iran Negotiations, Market Reaction, DHS Funding

WASHINGTON-Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Varney & Co. on Fox Business to discuss Iran negotiations, the market's response to Middle East developments, and efforts to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

Partial Transcript

Hagerty on negotiating with Iran: "We've never been able to believe a word they've said. This has been going on for decades, and they've consistently lied. They've consistently misrepresented their position. And I think you just have to step back and take a look at the cards that they hold. Their military has been decimated. Their weapon stockpile has been decimated. If you think about their economy right now, it's certainly moving in the wrong direction. The cards are all in President Trump's hand, JD [Vance], Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner- all very capable people. They've laid out the red lines for the Iranian regime. The Iranian regime now needs to respond to this. They're going to continue to try to tap us along. They're going to find out this is not the Obama administration. This is not John Kerry that they're dealing with. This administration is not going to cave. The red lines are real. They will not have nuclear capability, and we're going to make certain that that's the case. I think the Iranians just need to wake up. Just ask Maduro what happens if you don't take this president seriously?"

Hagerty on market reaction and U.S. leverage: "I think it's because they see this administration, the Trump administration, standing strong, standing firm. And again, the cards are all in our favor. This blockade is going to have dramatic results on the Iranian economy. I think the Iranians need to wake up and see where this is headed. There's only one way out of this, and that's for them to accede to the demands."

Hagerty on DHS funding and reconciliation: "Having a deal with the Democrats has proven to be fruitless. They've been willing to subject the men and women at Homeland Security to massive pain. Two of the longest government shutdowns in history have been directed at those workers. It's just a shame that Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are willing to hold them, their families, and their livelihoods as hostages for sheer politics. What we're going to do is focus on a reconciliation package that is going to get these departments funded, fully funded for the duration of Trump's administration. The Democrats have made it clear they want to defund the police. They don't want any immigration enforcement in the United States. They want these illegal immigrants to basically walk free and receive benefits. That is not going to happen, and Republicans are going to come together in this reconciliation package and make certain that it doesn't. We're going to be working at pace on this. Our staff have been working through this two-week period that we've been on recess. We will be getting to it this week, and I hope to get it done very, very soon."

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