Transcript: James Himes on At the U.N., Trump Asks Whether to Make a Deal With Iran "or Do I Annihilate the Islamic Republic and Do It Quickly" and Says Tehran Is "Waiting to See How I Do in the Midterm" — Hours Later Witkoff and Kushner Sit Down With Iran's Foreign Minister for Three Hours, and Tim Kaine Asks "Who Talks Like That?" — WhatDidTheySay?

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James Himes

Representative (CT-4)

Sep 27, 2026

“
The president's threat to annihilate Iran is nonsensical. You know, he's been trying that for six months now. … The Iranians have for six months sustained the very worst that we and the Israelis can throw at them. … Look, the Iranians now, in some sense, control what happens on Election Day. … If the Iranian regime wants to make sure that Mike Lawler loses in New York-17, or that Ashley Hinson is not a senator in the Midwest, they will call their friends the Houthis and say, fire five missiles at five ships … oil goes up to $120 a barrel. Diesel, already at record highs, goes to $8 a gallon. … So do you think they're giving up that position before the election? Of course they're not.

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Transcript: Rep. Jim Himes on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Sept. 27, 2026.

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At the U.N., Trump Asks Whether to Make a Deal With Iran "or Do I Annihilate the Islamic Republic and Do It Quickly" and Says Tehran Is "Waiting to See How I Do in the Midterm" — Hours Later Witkoff and Kushner Sit Down With Iran's Foreign Minister for Three Hours, and Tim Kaine Asks "Who Talks Like That?" →