Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, doubled down when asked whether he truly believed former President Barack Obama demonstrated stronger leadership in addressing the threat posed by Iran than President Trump.
Not only did he stand by his position, but even after hearing criticisms of Obama’s approach, including a $1.7 billion payment to the Iranian regime, he maintained that President Trump’s record still would not come close, despite Trump having taken some of the most aggressive and successful actions against the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism since its founding.
FOX: "Are you suggesting that Obama's leadership on Iran was better?"
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 20, 2026
KHANNA: "Yes, I am"
FOX: "Under President Obama there were 14 wire transfers to a Swiss account linked to Hezbollah...he also sent pallets of cash in a plane..."
KHANNA: “Barack Obama was a great statesman" pic.twitter.com/K6umiuETtV
"Are you suggesting that Obama's leadership on Iran was better?" Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo said. "Because under President Obama, there were 14 wire transfers to a Swiss account linked to Hezbollah. Between 2014 and 2016, that was a total of $1.7 billion. The same $1.7 billion, he told Congress, was frozen Iranian assets. Now, there was a backchannel to Tehran through Valerie Jarrett, active for 2012 to 2024. This was after he left office. So it was almost like a shadow government. He also sent pellets of cash in a plane to Iran. Now, why would you send money to Iran knowing that they are building a nuclear weapon and they are the leading sponsor of terrorism?"
"Barack Obama was a great statesman who left America much safer," Khanna replied. "I wouldn't put Donald Trump in the same paragraph."
His comments suggest that the modern Democratic Party is unwilling to give credit where it is due, particularly to President Trump.
For decades, American politicians have been dog walked by the Iranian regime, continuing to believe they could negotiate their way to a favorable outcome, an idea they still hold, despite it producing repeated failures for both the United States and international bodies like the United Nations.
President Trump, by contrast, offered Iran an opportunity to negotiate in good faith and made clear that failure to do so would carry real consequences. He not only pursued his own diplomatic efforts first, but also sought to re-establish the United States as a country whose positions could not be dismissed by bloodthirsty and inferior governments.