Rep. Jim Himes accuses Trump of "flat-out lying" about negotiating with Iran

Source: CBS News

March 29, 2026 / 3:37 PM EDT


Democratic Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, on Sunday accused President Trump of "flat-out lying" about negotiating with Iran last week amid market turmoil and the ongoing war.

"Last Sunday, he realized, 'I've got a financial cataclysm in the market,' so he just made that statement up," Himes said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" after Brennan asked if he thought Mr. Trump hadn't been engaging in diplomacy because he hadn't been briefed as a member of Congress.

One week ago, the president announced that he would push a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, after he had threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power plants if the country failed to concede to the U.S. demand. Iran had threatened to attack U.S. and Israeli energy and infrastructure throughout the Middle East in response to that ultimatum, while stock futures had signaled close to a 1% decline and oil prices soared to $112 a barrel. Stocks rose and energy prices dropped in the immediate wake of the announcement, but neither pattern held up.

"The Iranians have now realized they have the reins," said Himes. "Gasoline prices are up more than $1 a gallon. They have realized, 'Holy smokes, we've got a lot of leverage here.'"

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jim-himes-trump-lying-iran-egotiations/