CNN host Michael Smerconish argued Saturday that President Donald Trump engaged in “smart diplomacy” this week with comments he made about the Iran war and Taiwan that critics viewed as “gaffes.”

Smerconish first tackled Trump’s comment that he’s not considering Americans’ financial situations “even a little bit” when making decisions about Iran.

Smerconish said he was sure Trump’s comment would be used in “plenty of Democratic midterm ads.”

“But here’s the truth: President Trump gave the only answer he could have given,” Smerconish said. “Yes, the economic pain is real…but the people stomping on Trump for that answer are missing the point entirely. He wasn’t talking to us. He was speaking to Iran.”

“The strongest remaining weapon in Iran’s arsenal — it’s not their navy or missile systems — it’s American impatience,” Smerconish continued. “If President Trump had stood at that microphone and said, ‘Boy, I sure hope we can keep this up for a little bit longer because the economy is really taking a toll,’ that would have been a gift-wrapped signal to Tehran that we’re looking for a way out.”

Next, Smerconish talked about how Trump refused to confirm arm sales to Taiwan when asked by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“So now, Trump’s unwillingness to confirm arms sales to Taiwan — that became the story. That and his refusal to say whether the U.S. would come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of a China attack,” Smerconish said. “Arguably the bigger story was Trump’s revelation that Xi had directly asked Trump whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan if China attacked. Think about that for a moment. The leader of China flat-out asked. The question alone tells you everything about where Beijing’s head is. If Xi really said that to Trump, it suggests that Xi is looking to invade Taiwan and he’s looking for a green light from the United States to do so.”

Smerconish argued Trump’s refusal to give Xi an answer was not a “dodge” or a “weakness.”

“That’s a long-standing U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity, and the only answer that keeps China guessing,” he said.

Smerconish continued, “For China, the summit was all about Taiwan. But for the us, it’s all about Iran. So people can clutch their pearls all they want. On both occasions, Trump said exactly what the moment required, not for our consumption, but for the audience that really mattered: Iran, a country that needs to be kept from getting a nuclear weapon.”

Watch above via CNN.

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