President Obama Slams CBS News Reporter For ‘Nonsense’ Notion

President Barack Obama lost his patience during a press conference Wednesday. He came back hard at a reporter who asked him about the four U.S. citizens being held in Iran.

CBS News correspondent Major Garrett indicated that the U.S. president was “content” to leave the U.S. citizens in Iranian custody while the Obama administration was celebrating the nuclear deal. Garrett told Obama that he had to answer for the celebration about the nuclear deal while Iran still held those Americans in jail.

“As you well know, there are four Americans in Iran, three held on trumped-up charges, according to your administration, one whereabouts unknown,” CNN quoted Garrett, “Can you tell the country, sir, why you are content with all the fanfare around this deal to leave the conscience of this nation, the strength of this nation unaccounted for in relation to these four Americans?”

The White House reporter also told President Obama that, according to many in the Pentagon, the U.S. president had “left the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff hung out to dry.” Garrett referred to the chairman’s comment last week that there would be no relief for Iran in terms of ballistic missiles or conventional weapons.

President Obama looked annoyed during Garrett’s questions. He took a pause before answering the reporter. He sarcastically gave the reporter credit for crafting the questions. The U.S. president then tossed aside the notion that he was “content.” “Major, that’s nonsense, and you should know better,” Politico quoted Obama.

Obama added that the administration was “working diligently” on the process of getting the U.S. citizens back home. He said that he had met with families with some of the Americans in Iranian custody.