Trump Blames Obama as U.S. Launches ‘Defensive Strikes’ Against Iran

Congressional Republicans blasted the move at the time, saying the administration empowered a state sponsor of terrorism while publicly insisting the payments were unrelated to the prisoner release.

Then-Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Ed Royce introduced legislation seeking to prohibit future administrations from making similar payments.

“The U.S. government should not be in the business of negotiating with terrorists and paying ransom money in exchange for the release of American hostages,” Rubio said in 2016.