President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that Americans' financial struggles were not a factor in his negotiations to end the war in Iran, despite rising inflation. Speaking to reporters before his trip to China, Trump emphasized that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon was his sole focus. 'Not even a little bit,' he said when asked about the influence of Americans' financial situations on his decision-making. 'The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon,' Trump reiterated.
ABC News White House Correspondent Karen Travers pressed Trump on the financial impact of the war on Americans, but he remained firm. 'The most important thing, by far, is Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,' he said. When asked about the pressure on Americans due to rising prices, Trump responded, 'Every American understands. They understand that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.' He added that if Iran acquired nuclear weapons, 'the whole world would be in trouble because they happen to be crazy.'
Democrats quickly criticized Trump's comments. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reshared a video of Trump's remarks on X, captioning it 'We can tell.' A recent ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found that 65% of Americans disapproved of Trump's handling of the economy, while 76% disapproved of his management of the cost of living. The national average for a gallon of gas in the U.S. was $4.50 as of Tuesday, up more than $1.50 since the war began in late February.
Trump, who previously suggested a gas tax holiday to provide financial relief, told reporters that oil prices would drop significantly once the conflict ended. 'When it’s over, you’re going to have a massive drop in the price of oil,' he said.