President Donald Trump "sometimes plays good cop-bad cop," and his words over the weekend toning down some of his comments on Iran are just part of his overall strategy, Sen. Kevin Cramer said Tuesday.
"We received intelligence that Iran was contemplating taking advantage of some of our vulnerabilities in the region (and) the president talked tough," the North Dakota Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "He played the role and sent some assets in that direction."
As a result, Cramer continued, Iran withdrew some of its own more aggressive assets and became more defensive, leaving trump to return to "calming the waters again."
Over the weekend, Trump said the United States is not looking for regime change, but rather to ensure Iran does not have nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, it would be good to enter into talks with Iran, said Cramer, adding that Trump has "done that better than any of his predecessors," considering his negotiations with China's Prime Minister Xi Jinping or North Korea leader Kim Jong Un.
"He provides an avenue and opportunity for our adversaries if not to become our friends, to become serious," said Cramer.
The senator also dismissed comments made by Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has criticized Trump on Iran.
"He is playing to a base that is radical and he plays radical better than anybody," said Cramer. "Nobody is talking about war with Iran. They aren't talking or threatening war. He is using the very well-known policy of peace by strength that allowed us to get back to this calm demeanor. I don't know what Bernie Sanders is talking about other than he is talking to a different audience."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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