White House Tries to Control Damage After Aide's Press, Iran Comments

The White House is in damage control mode as it seeks to downplay comments made by President Barack Obama's deputy national security advisor.

In a recent New York Times Magazine article, Ben Rhodes criticized the White House press corps and added a wrinkle to the Iran deal saga by saying he "created an echo chamber" of support for the Iran nuclear agreement by giving talking points to groups in favor of the deal.

According to The Hill,  White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Monday Rhodes' descriptions of White House reporters was "not how it was intended. Based on that reaction, I am confident he would say it differently if given a chance."

Rhodes told the Times, "All these newspapers used to have foreign bureaus. Now they don't. They call us to explain to them what's happening in Moscow and Cairo. Most of the outlets are reporting on world events from Washington. The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old, and their only reporting experience consists of being around political campaigns. That's a sea change. They literally know nothing."

Regarding the Iran deal, Rhodes said, "We had test drives to know who was going to be able to carry our message effectively, and how to use outside groups like Ploughshares, the Iran Project and whomever else. So we knew the tactics that worked," said Rhodes, adding that "We drove [the deal's opponents] crazy."

The remarks about Iran angered skeptics of the deal, including House Speaker Paul Ryan. 

Rhodes published a blog post Sunday night to defend himself and clarify some of his comments.

Related Stories:

• US Trying to Determine If Iran Tested Missile: White House
  
• Congressmen: Boeing Deal With Iran May Result in Warplanes