President Donald Trump is defending his recent remarks that he is not factoring in Americans’ financial situation while negotiating to end the conflict with Iran.
Trump made the comments earlier this week, saying his primary focus is preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Trump’s Comments on Americans’ Finances
“That’s a perfect statement, I’d make it again,” Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier during a Friday interview in China.
He previously stated that he wasn’t thinking about Americans’ finances “even a little bit,” emphasizing that stopping Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is the most important goal.
“The only thing that matters, when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation, I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: You cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
His remarks drew widespread criticism from Democrats, while many Republicans defended him.
Gas Prices and the Strait of Hormuz
Trump acknowledged there will be “short-term pain” for Americans as he negotiates an end to the Iran conflict and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route.
Gas prices have surged about 50% since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, with the national average rising above $4.50 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
Trump said he is “OK” with higher gas prices if it helps stop the threat of nuclear weapons. “When you tell somebody you’re going to pay a little more for gasoline for a very short period of time — because we want to stop the threat of being blown to pieces by a lunatic, by a crazy person using nuclear weapons — everybody says that’s fine,” he said.
He added that gas prices should drop once the blockade in the strait is resolved.
Political Implications
With rising gas prices and declining approval ratings, Republicans are concerned about the political fallout from the Iran war ahead of the November midterm elections, where they face slim majorities.
Trump said he is not considering the elections when making decisions about Iran. “I’m not going to let the election determine what’s going to happen with respect to Iran, because they cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
