"[T]he only people ... against the deal were the ayatollah and maybe Ben Rhodes"

“I think getting out of the JCPOA was the predicate for this fantastic deal between UAE and Israel,” he said on Meet the Press. “I never thought I would see President Trump being endorsed by Thomas Friedman on this deal and David Ignatius and others. I think the only people who were against the deal were the ayatollah and maybe Ben Rhodes.”

While the deal to normalize relations between Israel and the UAE drew widespread praise, Rhodes numbered among its detractors. He dismissed it in a tweet, writing, “This agreement enshrines what has been the emerging status quo in the region for a long time (including the total exclusion of Palestinians). Dressed up as an election eve achievement from two leaders who want Trump to win.”