WASHINGTON — Facing criticism of a newly signed memorandum of understanding with Iran from both his own party and the opposition, the President on Thursday addressed the substance of those concerns by announcing that anyone holding them was "either jealous, bad people, or stupid."

The agreement, which critics say eases sanctions, unfreezes Iranian assets, and establishes a reconstruction fund reported at $300 billion, was defended by the administration as the toughest position any president had taken — a claim it supported by noting that the stock market had reached a record high and that oil prices were, in the President's words, "tumbling down." Officials confirmed these two facts constituted the full technical briefing available to lawmakers.

Pressed on specific provisions, a spokesperson reiterated that the appropriate response to a policy disagreement was to establish the bad character of the person raising it, an approach that required no familiarity with the agreement's contents. The administration declined to address the enrichment terms, the unfrozen assets, or the fund, on the grounds that the people asking about them were not engaging in good faith.

The President added that history would vindicate the deal, as it had vindicated previous historic agreements he announced with similar confidence and subsequently stopped mentioning. Aides said the administration remained open to constructive dialogue with any critic prepared to first concede that they were jealous, a bad person, or stupid, and to proceed from there.