DEATH TO AMERICA: The History Behind the Chant Part IV – The Deal

Things I've Been Thinking About · Sep 17, 2026 · 8m

Part IV of DEATH TO AMERICA: The History Behind the Chant enters one of the strangest periods in the entire U.S.-Iran relationship.

The American hostages are still in Tehran. Jimmy Carter’s rescue attempt ends catastrophically at Desert One. Six Americans escape through the operation later made famous by Argo. Ronald Reagan’s campaign worries about an “October Surprise,” and the hostages are finally released on the day Reagan takes office.

Then the story gets murkier.

We examine allegations that Reagan’s campaign secretly intervened to delay the hostages’ release, the PROMIS software scandal…