Trump and the art of the Iran deal | McClatchy Washington Bureau

The Iran negotiators clearly didn’t read, or at least heed, Donald Trump’s book on how to deal, says the author. Though Trump hasn’t read the deal.

The author of the best-selling “Art of the Deal” complained Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” negotiators “didn’t read The Art of the Deal. Most people did, they didn't.”

The businessman and Republican presidential candidate, now at or near the top in national polls, said, “It's a ridiculous deal. Even a thing like, you know, nuclear's so important and stopping nuclear proliferation, which just as likely will enhance, but so important. But something like that the beginning when they were discussing it, we had three prisoners, we now have four prisoners.

“Giving billions and billions of dollars to them, releasing the money before you even do the deal where they're getting billions of dollars, they are going to be so rich and so powerful. And , you know, when you talk about the deal itself, any time, anywhere, you have to go in and inspect any time, anywhere. Now, they have a 24-day notice provision. Give a 24-day notice to go in and inspect? I think it's made by people that are incompetent...”

And...”We were dealing from desperation. We look so desperate, and it's a disgrace.”

But has he read the deal?

“I have seen the deal,” Trump said. “I have seen it broken down in every newspaper you can imagine, and I have -- I think I know the deal quite well because other people, I assume, are going into it in great detail. I have seen every newspaper article you can. I have seen the good points and the bad points.”