Ben Rhodes Talks Russia, The Iran Deal And His Time In The White House

Ben Rhodes Talks Russia, The Iran Deal And His Time In The White House

By Chance Seales

and Megan Smith

By Chance Seales

and Megan Smith
June 19, 2018

June 19, 2018

His new memoir, "The World As It Is," dives deeper into his time as a top adviser in the Obama White House.

SHOW TRANSCRIPT

Ben Rhodes served the White House for all eight years of Barack Obama's presidency. He sat down with Chance Seales, looking back on the Obama White House and at how America is changing.

TRENDING IN Politics NEWS

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Pete Buttigieg Rallies Va. Voters Ahead Of Super Tuesday

Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump

President Trump Heads To India For First Official Trip

People holding American flags during naturalization ceremony

'Public Charge' Immigration Rule Goes Into Effect Monday

Sen. Bernie Sanders and his wife Jane at a campaign rally.

Nevada Caucuses Give Bernie Sanders His First Big Win In 2020

Sen. Bernie Sanders

U.S. Officials Told Sanders That Russia Is Trying To Help His Campaign

President Donald Trump at a campaign rally

President Trump And His Supporters Are Confident He'll Win In November

Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Warren Campaign Opened $3 Million Line Of Credit In January

Florida state Rep. Erin Grall addresses the House floor

Florida House of Representatives

Florida Lawmakers Pass Parental Consent Bill On Underage Abortion

A sign outside a polling place

Intel Official Says Russia Plans To Meddle In The 2020 Election

An exam room at a women's reproductive health center

Appeals Court Blocks Mississippi's 'Heartbeat' Abortion Ban

Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks to a crowd of supporters.

Elizabeth Warren Rallies Nevada Supporters After Debate

Newsy's James Packard

Big Budget, Big Data — The Short Drive Across Nevada's Battleground

Getty Images / Carl Court

Facebook Removes Video Revealing Virginia Lawmaker's Home Address

Richard Grenell

U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Germany

Meet Richard Grenell, Trump's Pick For Acting Intelligence Chief

A California farmer irrigates his field

Trump Signs Order To Divert California Water

Sign advertising addiction treatment center

Fraud In The Addiction Rehab Industry Could Put Millions At Risk

File image made from U.S. Border Patrol surveillance video

Associated Press / U.S. Border Patrol

Judge Rules In Lawsuit Over Arizona Border Patrol Conditions

Bias or Something More? What a Study Discovered About Paid Leave

Democratic presidential candidates on Las Vegas debate stage.

Democratic Presidential Candidates Clash In Tense Las Vegas Debate

Voters line up to cast early ballots in Las Vegas

Nevada's Diversity Changes The Race — But Will It Change The Outcome?

Two men with felony records hug after turning in their voter registration forms in Florida

Court: Florida Felons Can Register To Vote Despite Unpaid Fines, Fees

George Zimmerman in courtroom

George Zimmerman Suing Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg

Mike Bloomberg Faces Backlash For Previous Support Of Stop-And-Frisk

Attorney General William Barr

U.S. Attorney General Questions If Tech Industry Law Is Still Relevant

Defense Undersecretary for Policy

Pentagon Policy Official Resigns At President Trump's Request

The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Massachusetts Lawmaker Charged With Embezzling Campaign Funds

Woman votes in Durham, North Carolina

N.C. Voter ID Law Blocked For Discriminating Against African Americans

Rod Blagojevich

Blagojevich Returns To Chicago After Trump Commutes Prison Sentence

Presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders

Thousandths Of A Percentage Point Separation In Iowa Recanvass

Attorney General William Barr

DOJ Says Attorney General William Barr Is Not Thinking About Resigning

Judge Declines To Delay Roger Stone's Sentencing

Caucusgoers gather in Iowa

Washington Roundup: Are Caucuses Going Out Of Style?

U.S. Border Patrol agent

Chicago Leaders Condemn Deployment Of Elite Border Patrol Units

A Robotic Arm at the Tipsy Robot

'I Don't Know How To Stop Them' — When Robots Take Las Vegas Jobs

Rod Blagojevich

AP / M. Spencer Green

Trump Commutes Sentence Of Former IL Gov. Rod Blagojevich

Bolton Says He Hopes White House Doesn't 'Suppress' His Book

Yukos Oil and Gas

Dutch Court Orders Russia To Pay $50B For Dismantled Oil Company

Construction crews work on a border wall in Sunland Park, New Mexico

Trump Administration Waives Federal Laws For Border Wall Construction

The U.S. Department of Justice building

Judges To Hold Meeting After DOJ's Intervention In Roger Stone Case

Mike Bloomberg Qualifies For Democratic Debate

Democrats early voting in Nevada

What To Expect During The 'First In The West' Caucus

NY's Bail Reform Law Could Face Rollbacks Weeks After Taking Effect

Nevada's New Plan For Caucusing Raises Security Concerns

Facebook Is Now Letting Political Campaigns Sponsor 'Branded Content'

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani

Iran's President Says Talks Are Possible If U.S. Rejoins Nuclear Deal

The Department of Justice headquarters building in Washington, DC.

Immigration Judges Union Calls For Courts' Independence From DOJ

Farmer in Maryland

U.S. Watchdog To Look Into Trump's $28B Farm Bailout

Gun rights advocates rally in Virginia

Virginia Lawmakers Reject Ban On Sale Of Assault Weapons

Federal Prosecutors Consider New Charges Against Lev Parnas

Federal Appeals Court Blocks Work Requirements For Medicaid

Attorney General William Barr participates in a press conference at the Department of Justice on Feb.10, 2020

Over 1,100 Justice Department Alumni Call For A.G. Bill Barr To Resign

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shakes hands with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani

AP / Andrew Caballero-Reynolds

CNN: U.S. Officials Reassure Afghanistan It Will Not 'Abandon Them'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

Ukraine's President Disputes Trump's Assertion It's A Corrupt Country

U.S. Border Patrol patch

CBP To Send Officers To Sanctuary Cities In Arrest Operation

National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow

NEC Director Says New Tax Cuts Will Likely Roll Out By September

Vigil for the victims of the Parkland shooting

AP/Wilfredo Lee

Parkland Survivors Demand Action On Shooting's 2nd Anniversary

Matteo Salvini, leader of right-wing League Party, attends session in Italian Senate.

AP/Andrew Medichini

Italy Refuses Immunity For Right-Wing Leader Charged In Migrants Case

Congressman: White House Report On Soleimani 'Contradicts' President

Government Will Not Charge Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

Elizabeth Warren Sees Path Forward In Super Tuesday States

A cannabis plant

Los Angeles County To Dismiss Nearly 66,000 Marijuana Convictions

Soldier in Afghanistan

U.S. Reportedly Reaches Truce With Taliban In Afghanistan

A voting sign sits outside.

What The Fact: A Guide To Primary Voting

U.S. Attorney General William Barr

Barr Says The President's Tweets Make His Job 'Impossible'

Crews construction a portion of the border wall

Trump Extends National Emergency Declaration For U.S.-Mexico Border

U.S. Hits Huawei With New Federal Charges

President Donald Trump

War Powers Resolution Passes Senate With Bipartisan Support

Explaining The Complicated Way Voters Pick Presidential Candidates

Pentagon Expected To Support Tighter Huawei Restrictions

Va. House Approves Bill To Give Electoral Votes To Popular Vote Winner

Puerto Rico flag

Phishing Incident Scams Puerto Rico Out Of $2.6 Million

Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price

Chair Of The Iowa Democratic Party Resigns After Caucus Debacle

Judge Rejects Roger Stone's Request For A New Trial

Andrew Yang campaign materials

Push For Universal Basic Income Outlives Andrew Yang's Campaign

A man holding a gay pride flag outside of South Dakota's state capitol building

Abigail Dollins / Argus Leader / AP

Bill Banning Treatments For Transgender Youth Fails In South Dakota

The U.S. Capitol building

Washington, D.C., Gets A Step Closer To Statehood After Committee Vote

Deval Patrick Ends 2020 Presidential Bid

Former U.S. attorney Jessie Liu

Trump Reportedly Pulls Nomination For Top Treasury Role

Sen. Bernie Sanders on New Hampshire primary night.

In A Tight Race, Sanders Beats Buttigieg To Win New Hampshire Primary

Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax

Judge Throws Out Va. Lieutenant Governor's Libel Suit Against CBS

Sen. Michael Bennet

Michael Bennet Drops Out Of Presidential Race

Teacher Holli Averett in an active shooter simulation

Getty Images / George Frey

Education Unions: Active Shooter Drills Shouldn't Involve Students

South Bend IDs Give Undocumented Immigrants Access to Clinics, Meds

All 4 Federal Prosecutors Withdraw From Roger Stone Proceeding

Child is treated for acute malnutrition in war-torn Yemen in 2018.

Getty Images/Andrew Renneisen

Report: U.S. Considering Suspending Humanitarian Aid To War-Torn Yemen

Planned Parenthood marquee

Planned Parenthood, ACLU Suing Over Planned Abortion Billing Policy

President Donald Trump

After China Deal, Trump Says EU Trade Deal May Be His Next Priority

President Donald Trump delivers a speech at Southern New Hampshire University on Feb. 10, 2020 in Manchester, New Hampshire

Trump Just Had One Of His Most Expensive Ad Spending Weeks On Facebook

Voters in New Hampshire meet with Former VP Joe Biden.

New Hampshire Voters Poised to Deliver Biden a Blow

Andrew Yang Ends His 2020 Presidential Campaign

Texas attorney general Ken Paxton

Texas Asks U.S. Supreme Court To Strike Down California's Travel Ban

Newsy speaks with an out-of-state college student in New Hampshire about HB 1264

Newsy Staff/Mai Nolasco-Carranza

Out-Of-State College Students Can Still Vote In New Hampshire Primary

Attorney General William Barr

DOJ Sues New Jersey And A Washington County Over Sanctuary Laws

Do Sanders and Warren Hold Home-Field Advantage In New Hampshire?

Prosecutors Recommend That Roger Stone Serve Up To 9 Years In Jail

Washington Roundup: Why To Watch College Voters In New Hampshire