President Donald Trump defended comments suggesting he was not focused on Americans’ financial struggles while prioritizing efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, arguing any resulting economic hardship would be temporary.
Trump first sparked controversy earlier this week when he said economic pain facing Americans was not central to his decision-making regarding the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
“I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing — we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all,” Trump said Tuesday when asked whether he considered Americans struggling financially because of the conflict.
The comments quickly drew criticism from political opponents and some analysts who argued the administration should weigh economic consequences alongside national security concerns.
During an interview with Bret Baier broadcast Friday on Fox News, Trump defended the remarks and said he would repeat them.
“That’s a perfect statement, I’d make it again,” Trump said after Baier noted critics had heavily focused on the original comments.
Trump argued critics and media outlets removed his broader explanation from the discussion and insisted he still cared about the economic situation facing Americans.
“It’s gonna be short-term pain,” Trump said while discussing inflation and higher energy prices linked to the conflict involving Iran.
“But the pain is much less than people thought,” he added during the interview.
Trump framed the issue as a matter of national security and argued preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons outweighed temporary economic disruption tied to military operations and global energy markets.
The White House also defended Trump’s position following backlash surrounding the comments.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said Trump’s “ultimate responsibility is the safety and security of Americans.”
“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Cheung said while defending the administration’s actions and broader strategy in the region.
The remarks come as Republicans increasingly worry the economic effects of the Iran conflict could damage the party politically ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Rising oil prices tied to instability in the Middle East have pushed gasoline prices higher and contributed to renewed inflation concerns across the US economy.
Government data released this week showed consumer inflation in April posted its largest increase in three years, intensifying scrutiny over the administration’s handling of the economy.
Trump acknowledged the Iran conflict has negatively affected economic indicators and said he warned advisers that the military confrontation could temporarily disrupt economic progress, per the Daily Mail.
“I hate to do this to you, but I’m going to screw up your numbers for a little while,” Trump said while describing conversations with aides about the impact of the conflict on inflation and energy prices.
Trump also argued during the Fox interview that the outcome of the Iran conflict could influence the midterm elections more than domestic issues such as redistricting or economic messaging.
“I think a bigger difference would be if I win quickly,” Trump said while discussing the potential political effects of the war.
US intelligence assessments cited in the report indicated analysts still believe Iran would require between nine months and one year to develop a nuclear weapon capability, similar to estimates made last summer.
