President Donald Trump doubled down on his claim that the financial pain of Americans is not a consideration when seeking to deny Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, calling his previous admission to that effect “a perfect statement.”
Trump initially told Daily Caller White House Correspondent Reagan Reese that the financial situations of Americans were “not even a little bit” of a factor when pressuring to Iran to resolve the ongoing conflict with a diplomatic solution. The comments came as Americans are feeling the pain of the war’s economic effects, such as higher gas and food prices. Trump defended the remarks he made during a Friday interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier.
WATCH:
During the interview, Baier pressed Trump on his blunt admission.
“You can imagine how many people stop the sound bite at, ‘I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation,’ so what’s your response to that framework?” Baier asked.
“That’s right, that’s a perfect statement,” Trump said. “I would make it again.” The president then added his view that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon outweighs the short-term economic impacts.
“It’s very simple: when people hear me say it, everybody agrees,” Trump continued. “Short-term pain. It’s gonna be short-term pain.”
Gas prices have skyrocketed roughly 50% since the start of the war with Iran, with the national average at the time of writing hovering around $4.52 per gallon.
The economic pressure has been tied to freedom of navigation at the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil chokepoint through which 34% of the world’s crude oil passes, according to the International Energy Agency.
The White House pointed the Daily Caller News Foundation to a previous statement from White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defending Trump’s remarks.
“The President’s ultimate responsibility is the safety and security of Americans,” Cheung stated Tuesday. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and if action wasn’t taken, they’d have one, which threatens all Americans.”
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