President Donald Trump stirred a political firestorm Monday when he declared that a former American president had privately confessed regret over never taking military action against Iran — a claim that every living ex-president’s team promptly denied.
Trump first made the statement during a meeting of the Kennedy Center board of trustees, held at the White House, where he serves as chairman of the board.
“Look, for 47 years, no president was willing to do what I’m doing, and they should have done it a long time ago,” Trump told those gathered.
“And yet every president knew. I’ve spoken to a certain president, who I like, actually, a past president, a former president. He said, ‘I wish I did it, I wish I did,’ but they didn’t do it. I’m doing it.”
According to reports, Trump repeated the claim a second time later that same day in the Oval Office, where he was announcing a new task force led by Vice President JD Vance targeting fraud in federal benefit programs.
When pressed by reporters to identify the ex-president, Trump declined. “I can’t tell you that. I don’t want to embarrass him. It would be very bad for his career, even though he’s got no career,” he said.
The four living former presidents are Democrats Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden, along with Republican George W. Bush. Trump’s comments pointed heavily toward one of the Democrats.
Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy pressed Trump in the Oval Office on whether the former president was George W. Bush. Trump replied: “No.”
When asked if it was Bill Clinton, Trump said, “I don’t want to say. I don’t want to say.”
Trump offered additional clues about the identity of the unnamed predecessor. “It’s somebody that happens to like me. And I like that person, who’s a smart person. But that person said, ‘I wish I did it,’ OK, but I don’t want to get into who, OK. I don’t want to get them into trouble,” he said.
Representatives for all four former presidents — Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Biden — told the Associated Press that none had spoken recently with Trump.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment once the denials surfaced.
An aide to Obama told ABC News that Obama has not spoken to Trump recently. A source close to Clinton said Clinton has not spoken with Trump about the Iran strikes.
Former President Biden did not speak with Trump about the strikes, according to a source familiar with the matter.
A representative for George W. Bush said that “they haven’t been in touch.”
Trump has spoken more warmly about Clinton than his other living predecessors on multiple occasions, saying he “likes” Clinton and describing him as someone he has “always gotten along with.”
That tone contrasts with the sharp criticism Trump has consistently directed at Obama and Biden.
Trump told NBC News last month: “It bothers me that somebody’s going after Bill Clinton. See, I like Bill Clinton. I still like Bill Clinton.” That language closely mirrors how he described the unidentified ex-president Monday, saying it was someone “I like.”
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