"The deal is terrible," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House after his announcement earlier today.
The big quote: "We will see what happens with Iran. We're very unhappy with Iran. They have not treated us with the kind of respect that they should be treating. They should have thanked Barack Obama for making that kind of deal. … They were gone. They were economically gone. He gave them 1.7 billion in cash, and they should be 'thank you, President Obama.' They didn't say that."
President Trump announced Friday that he was decertifying the Iran nuclear deal, stating that he will not support a "fanatical regime that has spread chaos and death around the world." Simultaneously, his administration issued sanctions against Iran's Revolutionary Guard for supporting terrorism, a move which reveals Trump has every intention of letting the deal implode.
Key quote: "In the event we are not able to reach a solution working with Congress and our allies, then the agreement will be terminated... our participation can be canceled by me, as president, at any time."
President Trump announced Friday that he is decertifying the Iran deal, and issued new sanctions on Iran's Revolutionary Guard. But he did not withdraw the U.S. from the agreement, instead punting the decision to Congress. This was expected, and comes despite criticism from U.S. allies and other member countries who insist that Iran is fulfilling its obligations, and warn that any change in the agreement could lead to a new nuclear buildup in the Middle East.
Why it matters: The world is already facing a mounting nuclear problem with North Korea. It doesn't want to risk another one with Iran. Trump argues, however, that the deal has emboldened Iran and is counter to U.S. interests.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed Friday that President Trump will use the Congressional The Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA) to decertify the Iran deal, stating that it is not "vital to the national security interests of the United States," per AP. Tillerson also made clear that Trump will not withdraw the U.S. from the agreement, instead punting the decision to Congress.
President Trump will extend the March 5 deadline to end protections for Dreamers if Congress fails to find a DACA fix, reports the Washington Post. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) told the Post that Trump said he was willing to "give it some more time" to find a "legislative solution" to the Obama-era program.
Why it matters: The bipartisan push to find a legislative fix to DACA came into question Sunday night when Trump issued a series of hardline immigration demands, including construction of the border wall, that he insisted must be enforced to allow Dreamers remain in the U.S. However, his conversation with Lankford suggests Trump is still committed to protecting Dreamers.
"Xi Jinping has more clout than Donald Trump," The Economist writes in its cover editorial. "The world should be wary Do not expect Mr Xi to change China, or the world, for the better."
The majority of the American public feels that residents of Puerto Rico are not receiving the help they need in the wake of Hurricane Maria, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll released today.
The Trump administration announced Thursday it will be withdrawing the U.S. from Unesco, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, per the NYT. The withdrawal will officially begin at the end of 2018, but the Trump administration said it wanted to remain as a nonmember observer, to continue engagement with Unesco and provide American expertise.
Catch up quick: The U.S. has distanced itself from the group in recent years since it has perceived its behaviors as "anti-Israel" — when the organization admitted Palestinians as full members, the Obama administration cut off funding to Unesco in 2011, thereby losing its vote in 2013 since it stopped its funding flows.
Pakistani soldiers freed an American woman and her family of five Thursday who had been held hostage by the Taliban-linked Haqqani network for five years, per the New York Times. The family was in Pakistan early Thursday, and the White House released a statement thanking the Pakistani government for its cooperation once they were safely back in American custody.
The hostages: Caitlan Coleman, originally from Pennsylvania, and her Canadian husband, Josh Boyle, were kidnapped while backpacking in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, a militant stronghold near Kabul. Coleman was pregnant at the time of their abduction, and she had two more children while in captivity.
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg told Axios at a live event today that Facebook owes the American people an apology ("Not just an apology, but determination") for their role in enabling Russian interference during the election.
At Axios' live event in D.C., Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg told Axios that Facebook would run the Marsha Blackburn ad announcing her Senate campaign, which claimed Planned Parenthood sold "baby body parts" and was taken down by Twitter — even though Sandberg said she personally disagreed with the views expressed in the ad. "When you cut off speech for one person, you cut off speech for other people," she said.
Energy secretary Rick Perry will testify late this morning before an Energy and Commerce subcommittee, where he's sure to face questions about his push for changes in wholesale power market regulation that would boost revenues for coal and nuclear plants.
Why it matters: With the rationale for the proposal — that helping keep nuclear and coal plants afloat is needed for grid resilience and reliability — coming under intense criticism, Perry is under pressure to mount a strong defense.
