President Trump made a series of controversial and factually questionable statements regarding the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, including expecting more American casualties, falsely blaming Iran for a school strike and the USS Cole bombing, and claiming the war is nearly over. Meanwhile, the conflict has led to rising U.S. gas prices and global oil market disruptions.
President Donald Trump, speaking from his Florida resort during a Republican policy retreat, made numerous controversial statements regarding the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. He stated he expects more American service member deaths, claiming families of fallen soldiers urged him to 'finish the job,' though he misremembered the date of a solemn transfer ceremony. Trump also made several false claims, attributing the 2000 USS Cole bombing to Iran (it was al-Qaeda) and suggesting Iran, which does not possess Tomahawk missiles, might have been responsible for a strike on a girls' school that U.S. forces are likely to blame for. Despite Pentagon investigations, Trump maintained he saw no evidence of U.S. responsibility and falsely asserted Iran has Tomahawks. He repeatedly claimed the war was 'very complete' and ahead of schedule, stating Iran's navy and air force were 'wiped out' and calling the conflict a 'military success.' Concurrently, the conflict has resulted in the death of a seventh U.S. service member and significantly impacted global markets. Iranian threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have caused oil prices to soar past $100 per barrel and U.S. gasoline prices to spike, with California seeing over $5 a gallon. Trump, however, downplayed these economic impacts, calling short-term oil spikes 'a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace,' and labeling anyone who disagreed a 'fool.' He also suggested he was 'thinking about taking over' the Strait of Hormuz.
