Cable news roundup: Biden administration’s deal with Iran and Kevin McCarthy’s Biden impeachment inquiry

On Tuesday night, Fox News discussed the Biden administration’s release of $6 billion in frozen funds from Iran and five Iranians imprisoned by the U.S. in exchange for five Americans imprisoned in Iran, while MSNBC discussed how Kevin McCarthy’s impeachment inquiry on President Joe Biden is a “distraction.”

Fox News — Biden administration’s $6 billion deal with Iran

“Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday informed Congress he had signed a waiver releasing $6 billion in frozen Iranian oil revenues as part of a deal to bring home five Americans imprisoned in Iran,” a Wall Street Journal editorial reads. “In return, the U.S. will release five Iranians held here. It’s a hard deal to accept, all the more so when the Biden administration chose the anniversary of 9/11 to announce it.”

Sean Hannity responded to the WSJ’s opinion on “Hannity” on Tuesday night with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, “I didn’t think America paid ransom payments to mullahs in Iran so they can spend more money on their nuclear program. Senator, I must be very naive.”

Cruz responded, “What they’re doing is placing a bounty on every American’s head. What this administration is doing is sending $6 billion to the Ayatollah.”

“Now that the Ayatollah and every other terrorist on earth knows that the Biden administration is willing to pay billions of dollars for American hostages, you’re going to see more Americans taken hostage because they’ve suddenly made it a profitable endeavor,” Cruz said.

“Sadly,” he added, “this Biden White House puts partisan politics above our national security interests.”

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MSNBC — Adam Schiff: Biden impeachment inquiry takes away from real issues

“What is the difference between a real impeachment inquiry and whatever we can call” Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s announcement Tuesday for the House to open an impeachment inquiry on President Joe Biden, Lawrence O'Donnell asked Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., on “The Last Word.”

Schiff responded, “I think the reality is that McCarthy realizes he doesn't have the votes to do a real impeachment investigation. He doesn't have the support of his own members to do it.

“At the same time, his motivation is ‘what do I need to do to stay speaker one more day or maybe one more week,’ and he’s got Donald Trump pushing him to do an impeachment inquiry. ... But none of that really matters, and this is the problem he has with his own conference, and that is he stands for nothing.”

Schiff said it’s frustrating that McCarthy takes importance away from real issues Americans face.

“Kevin McCarthy is fiddling while cities are burning from climate change instead of dealing with these real-world problems. We have this complete degeneration of the House,” Schiff said. “The most rudimentary function of the House is to keep the lights on and keep the government open. ... The American people deserve so much better than what they’re getting from this Republican majority.”