President Donald Trump is defending his comments earlier this week that he did not consider the financial situation of Americans amid efforts to negotiate an end to the Iran war.
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“Perfect statement. I’d say it again,” Trump said in an interview Friday after being shown a clip of his earlier remarks.
President Trump told reporters Tuesday that he is not thinking “at all” about Americans’ finances as he negotiates with Iran to end the months-long conflict, adding that his sole focus is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“When we talk about Iran, the only thing that matters is that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons,” Trump said. “I’m not thinking about the economic situation of Americans. I’m not thinking about anyone else. The only thing I’m thinking about is that we can’t let Iran have nuclear weapons.”
Trump’s comments drew widespread criticism from Democrats, but many Republicans sought to defend him.
In a Fox News interview recorded in China during Trump’s visit, the president said there would be “short-term pain” as he negotiates an end to the Iran war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of the strait, one of the world’s busiest waterways for oil tankers, has caused global energy prices to soar.
President Trump has said he is “ok” with raising gasoline prices if it helps the United States achieve its goals in the Iran conflict.
“If you tell someone that we’re going to make gas prices a little bit more expensive for a very short period of time, because we want to stop the threat of being blown up by a lunatic or a lunatic with nuclear weapons, everyone will say that’s fine,” Trump said, calling the reporter’s question that prompted Tuesday’s response a “bogus question.”
Since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran in late February, gasoline prices have increased by 50%, pushing the national average to more than $4.50 per gallon, according to data from the American Automobile Association.
President Trump said gasoline prices would drop once the strait blockade was lifted.
“Remember, they have a lot of boats with oil, and they’re going to get the oil out as soon as this is over. And I think it’s going to end quickly,” Trump said Friday.
As gas prices rise and President Trump’s approval rating declines, Republicans are grappling with the political fallout from the Iran war ahead of November’s midterm elections in which they will defend their slim majorities in each chamber.
But President Trump said he was not considering the midterm elections when it came to Iran.
“We’re not going to let elections decide what happens with Iran, because Iran can’t have nuclear weapons,” he said.
