H.R. McMaster, President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, invited a small group of Democratic senators to the White House Wednesday to discuss the President’s plans on the Iran deal, and hinted that he did not think decertifying is the right way to go, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.
The sources said the meeting was clearly intended for McMaster to get ideas from key Senate Democrats on how to avoid decertifying the Iran deal, which many in both parties think would destabilize relations with allies and make it harder to confront foes well beyond Iran.
These sources say McMaster never explicitly said he disagrees with the President, nor that he wants Trump to certify that the Iran deal is in America’s national interest.
But the sources say McMaster repeatedly responded to Democratic senators’ entreaties not to decertify Iran and instead look for bipartisan alternatives by saying that he is not the one they have to convince, suggesting they were preaching to the choir.
Trump plans to “decertify” the Iran nuclear deal next week, declaring the Obama-era pact not in US interests and launching a congressional review period on the accord, according to two senior US officials.
McMaster’s apparent unease with decertifying the Iran deal puts him on the same side as other top members of the Trump national security team.
Just this week, Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent, asked Defense Secretary James Mattis whether he thinks it is in America’s national security interest to stay in the Iran deal.
“Yes, senator, I do,” Mattis responded.
The bottom line impression that several senators got from McMaster was that the President simply does not feel comfortable putting his name on a piece of paper saying it is in America’s national interest to be part of the deal, and that it was a heavy lift getting the President to certify twice this year that Iran is complying with the deal.
