President Donald Trump flew into a wild on-air meltdown about the negative press his war is getting.
The president launched Operation Epic Fury alongside Israel on February 28, promising that it would be over in a matter of weeks. More than 100 days later, the U.S. looks set to resume fighting after Iran downed a military helicopter, potentially ending a fragile ceasefire and ruining weeks of labored peace negotiations.
But, speaking live on Fox News via phone call on Thursday morning, Trump appeared upset with the coverage of the war. “We got everything, but the press just covers it so crazily. They say, no matter what I do, no matter what I do, the press will say it was a great victory for Iran. These people are crazy,” he ranted, adding that it appeared to be a case of what he calls “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Fox News hosts Brian Kilmeade and Ainsley Earhardt repeatedly tried to chime in, but the president is a force to be reckoned with mid-meltdown.
Trump opened his call by claiming that Iran was happy with its PR war. “Behind the scenes, I will tell you, they won’t even dispute it, although they probably would because it makes sense. They’re very good. Iran is very good at publicity, but they’re not good at fighting. I must tell you, uh, they can’t believe the press they’re getting. They can’t even believe it. And they told me, they said it’s amazing how well we’re doing in the papers. We’re not doing so well. They’re negotiating with us to make a deal.”
He then repeated MAGA talking points about the war, saying that any peace deal hinges on Iran relinquishing its nuclear capabilities.
The president said his deal “is a road to no nuclear weapon.”
“They can’t have a nuclear... It says you cannot have a nuclear weapon. We will not have... And I didn’t like it. It wasn’t strong enough because it said develop. You cannot develop. I said, ‘no, I want buy also.’ So they fought me on that for a day, and then they agreed to it. You cannot develop or purchase a nuclear weapon.”
He said that despite this “deal,” the press still hammers him.
However, there does not appear to be a deal. In fact, not long after the live Fox News interview, the president announced his intention to strike Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT.”
“At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets,” he added in the slightly crazed Truth Social post on Thursday morning.
