**Written by Doug Powers

Rallies featuring “death to America” chants have been a staple in Iran for decades, and it even occurred during the heady days when Obama and Kerry were celebrating a peace partnership and sending an enormous amount of cash to the regime. You wouldn’t know it though based on some media reports like this one from Reuters:

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied on Friday to swear allegiance to their clerical leaders and reject U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning that he had put the Islamic Republic “on notice”, state TV reported.

On the anniversary of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the U.S.-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, marchers including hundreds of military personnel and policemen streamed towards Tehran’s Azadi (Freedom) Square for the main event.

They carried “Death to America” banners and effigies of Trump while a military police band played traditional Iranian revolutionary songs.

State TV showed footage of people stepping on Trump’s picture in a central Tehran street. Marchers carried the Iranian flag and banners saying: “Thanks Mr Trump for showing the real face of America.”

At first when I saw video this morning I thought it was more Berkeley footage.

The list of “Iran protests Trump” goes on.

Newsweek:

The Hill:

News flash for “journalists”: Iranian leadership encourages these protests at any given time on any given day in any given year during any given U.S. presidency. In 2015, when the previous admin was negotiating the Iran deal, John Kerry said “death to America” chants were “pretty stupid” and then-President Obama reminded Iran that “death to America” chants wouldn’t create any jobs there:

The Chicago Tribune more accurately described the common occurrence:

Headlines that aren’t as common but should be include “Obama sends pallet of cash to regime that leads ‘death to America’ chants,” and “Left incensed by suggestion of travel ban from nation that holds annual ‘death to America’ parade.”

Update:

As evidenced by NPR in 2013, the “death to America” chants were reported back then, but sometimes with the sharp edges rounded off:

We’re REALLY unlikely to see that spin during the Trump presidency.

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe