Fox News, the vehemently pro-Trump network, appeared to condemn the U.S. mission in Iran on Saturday morning, describing the preemptive strike on Tehran as a “brazen” attack.
The choice of word, usually reserved for criminals and rogue regimes, means acting in a shocking, shameless, or impudent way, often marked by bold, rude confidence, according to Merriam-Webster.
The Fox News live blog stated: “A U.S. official told Fox News that Israel is targeting Iranian leadership in its brazen morning attack against the regime, but the U.S. is setting its sights on military targets and ballistic missile sites that pose an ‘imminent threat.’”
Given the president’s previous comments regarding attacks on Iran, the decision to go ahead with Operation Epic Fury certainly could be considered brazen, if not a direct contradiction of the President’s years-long stance on the issue.
On Saturday morning, the president admitted Americans will likely die in this war.
For years, Trump publicly claimed that a military attack on Iran would be tantamount to an inability to use diplomacy, a thinly-veiled attempt at electioneering, or an attempt from a president to “show how tough” they are.
“Our president will start a war with Iran because he has absolutely no ability to negotiate,” Trump said of President Barack Obama in November 2011. “He’s weak and he’s ineffective. So the only way he figures that he’s going to get re-elected, and as sure as you’re sitting there, is to start a war with Iran.”
“@BarackObama will attack Iran in order to get re-elected,” he said in a post on X, then called Twitter, the following January.
“Now that Obama’s poll numbers are in tailspin—watch for him to launch a strike in Libya or Iran. He is desperate," he added later that year.
It should be noted that Trump’s poll numbers are hitting record lows, and pressure is mounting on him ahead of the midterms in November. “Don’t let Obama play the Iran card in order to start a war in order to get elected—be careful Republicans!” he warned in October 2012.
In September 2013, he said, “I predict that President Obama will at some point attack Iran in order to save face!”
Then, just a week later: “Remember what I previously said—Obama will someday attack Iran in order to show how tough he is.”
Two months on, in November, he was still repeating the claim. “Remember that I predicted a long time ago that President Obama will attack Iran because of his inability to negotiate properly-not skilled!” Trump said.
The president also heavily campaigned on “no new wars” during his 2024 presidential run.
Now, his message is quite different. “To the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the armed forces, and all of the police,” he said as he announced the strikes on Saturday morning, “lay down your arms, or you will face certain death.”
