Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper once again criticized President Donald Trump by questioning the quality of the advice that the White House receives in the midst of negotiations with Iran and tensions in the Middle East.

During an interview on NBC News' Meet the Press, Esper said there are legitimate questions about whether the president is receiving adequate strategic recommendations from his top advisers, especially in relation to the recent memorandum of understanding reached between the United States and Iran.

“I think that's the question we have to ask ourselves,” Esper said when asked about confidence in the team around the president. “I don't see that the president always gets good advice,” he added, suggesting that even some Republicans on Capitol Hill share similar concerns about the conduct of American foreign policy.

The statements come as Republican lawmakers express reservations about the agreement that seeks to consolidate a ceasefire, guarantee the reopening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz and open a new stage of talks on the Iranian nuclear program.

Doubts persist over the Iran deal

Although Esper recognized positive aspects of the understanding reached between Washington and Tehran, he warned that the content of the memorandum raises important questions. “I am glad that the ceasefire has been extended and that the strait is once again open to maritime traffic,” he said. "I also consider it positive that there are nuclear talks. However, there are several points in the agreement that raise serious questions and concerns for me."

The former official noted that one of his main concerns is that the United States would have granted significant incentives to Iran at an early stage of the process, before obtaining concrete progress on nuclear matters.

He also expressed concern about provisions related to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important sea routes for the global oil trade. According to Esper, some sections of the memorandum could allow Iran to retain the ability to impose tariffs or exert influence on maritime traffic after the initial 60-day period contemplated in the agreement has ended.

In his opinion, allowing Tehran to maintain some level of control over that strategic path would represent a setback for the interests of the United States and its allies in the region.

Constant critic of Trump since his departure from the Pentagon

The differences between Esper and Trump date back to the final months of the first presidential term. The relationship between the two deteriorated during the 2020 national protests, when the then-Secretary of Defense publicly opposed the use of active-duty troops to control civilian demonstrations.

Trump ended up impeaching him in November of that year, a few days after the presidential election. Since then, Esper has become one of the president's most visible critics within the circle of former Republican officials. In 2024 he assured that he would not support a new Trump candidacy and went so far as to describe him as a “threat to democracy” and to American institutions.

The recent statements reinforce this distancing and come at a time when the administration faces a complex international scenario marked by negotiations with Iran, the stability of the Strait of Hormuz and the search for an agreement that reduces tensions in the Middle East.

While diplomatic talks continue, the debate in Washington about the White House strategy and the scope of the understanding with Tehran continues to generate divisions both among Democrats and within the Republican Party itself.