Sen. Cory Booker says people should be ‘very worried’ about Trump and Israel upending peace in the Middle East
The
New Jersey Democrat criticized President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling them both “criminal” leaders.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” Sunday that people should be “very worried” about President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upending viable pathways to peace in the Middle East as fragile ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran are underway in Switzerland.
Asked whether he believed Israel was a reliable partner in peace negotiations with Iran, Booker criticized the leaders of both countries.
“Between Israel and America, we have two criminal presidents,” Booker said, pointing to Trump’s prior conviction and Netanyahu’s corruption trial.
“These are two failed world leaders,” he added later. “And yes, we should be very worried about both of these leaders continuing to upend any kind of viable pathway to peace in the Middle East. These are both failed leaders that I cannot wait until they’re off the world stage.”
NBC News previously reported that U.S. spy agencies believe Israel could further disrupt talks with Iran. The talks come amid heightened tensions, just days after the White House announced that the U.S. signed a memorandum of understanding in an effort to move toward ending the war.
Iran said Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz is closed again because of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon.
The memorandum of understanding stipulates that the strait must remain toll-free for 60 days, among other provisions. Earlier Sunday, Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland for talks with Iranian officials.
Vance said Sunday that there was “great progress over the last couple of days in ensuring that the ceasefire holds in Lebanon.”
“We’re all working towards regional peace,” he said, referring to the U.S., Israel, Pakistan and Qatar. “There, of course, are going to be sometimes disagreements about precisely how to get there, but I actually feel great about where we are in Lebanon. There’s still some additional wood to chop, but we’re going to keep on working at it.”
Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met with an Iranian delegation to discuss the agreement between the two countries. Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan also joined the talks, which are aimed at determining the path forward on issues including Iran’s nuclear program.
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Asked on “Meet the Press” whether Trump deserved credit for trying to end the war rather than escalate it, Booker said, “That’s like giving somebody credit for — literally an arsonist starting a fire and getting credit for running out of the burning building.”
“This president has led this nation into a disaster,” he said. “We have surrendered our power. We have capitulated to the enemy, and they now are mocking us.”
Reached for comment on Booker’s remarks, White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said in a statement that the U.S. “brokered an excellent, performance-based MOU that advances the interests of the United States by ending the fighting, reopening the Strait of Hormuz to significantly lower energy prices, and forcing Iran to commit to abandon its nuclear ambitions.”
“What the President has achieved on the battlefield and at the negotiating table is nothing short of remarkable and will strengthen American security for many years to come,” the statement continued.
In a Truth Social post Sunday, Trump said that “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” appearing to refer to Hezbollah.
“If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!” he added.
