‘How Do You Sell This?’ CBS’s Brennan Confronts Trump Official With Poll Showing 78% of Americans Want Iran Conflict to End Now

CBS News’s Margaret Brennan began her interview with UN Ambassador Mike Waltz Sunday by citing some uncomfortable statistics on American attitudes toward the Iran war.

“Our CBS News poll out this morning shows that more than three-quarters of Americans want to end the conflict now,” Brennan said of the war with Iran — as a graphic on screen showed the exact number to be 78%. “With 69% saying the conflict with Iran was not worth the costs for the U.S. More than half — 57% — say the president’s war with Iran created more problems than it solved. And two in three say the administration reached agreement with Iran mainly because it wanted the conflict to be over.”

Brennan turned to Waltz saying, “Ambassador, the war is unpopular, as you just heard, but how it ends matters, as you know.”

She continued, “CBS’s Olivia Gazis is reporting that senior members of Trump’s national security team, including Secretary [Marco] Rubio, remain doubtful Iran will comply with this deal’s terms. The CIA director presented [President Donald] Trump with intelligence indicating inconsistencies with Iran’s commitments. So, if even the president’s own team doubts this is a win, how do you sell this to the public?”

Waltz anwered, “Well, Margaret, I’ll go back to other polling that shows that the American people absolutely agree with President Trump that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. Of course, we all want lower gas prices. They are lower, below $4 and falling, with more work to do. They’re cheaper than under the Biden administration.”

“We’ll remember just a few months ago when analysts were saying oil would be upwards of $150 to $200 a barrel. And it is not – it’s now under $80,” Waltz said. “Of course, everyone wants cheaper energy, but what President Trump is doing is striking that balance with also ensuring that a genocidal regime that none of us trust can never have a nuclear weapon, and that process is underway right now as we speak.”

Brennan added, “Well, the American people also don’t want Iran to have a nuclear weapon, we see that in our polling, but they’re unconvinced that this interim agreement achieves that.”

Vice President J.D. Vance joined special envoy Steve Witkoff, and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Switzerland Sunday for high-level peace talks with Iran.

Watch the clip above via Face The Nation on CBS News.

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