Trump says supporters ‘more in love' with him than ever despite Iran divisions
'My supporters are more in love with me today, and I'm more in love with them, more than they even were at election time where we had a total landslide,' the president told reporters as a new flagpole was erected at the White House.
'I may have some people that are a little bit unhappy now, but I have some people that are very happy, and I have people outside of the base that can't believe that this is happening, they're so happy,' he said.
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth told legislators on Capitol Hill on Wednesday that the Pentagon was providing Mr Trump with options on Iran but would not say whether the military was planning to assist with Israeli strikes.
'I may do it, I may not do it,' Mr Trump said Wednesday. 'I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.'
Some longtime defenders of his America First mantra are criticising him for considering a greater US role in the conflict between Israel and Iran after a week of deadly strikes, and reminding their own audiences of Mr Trump's 2024 promises to resist overseas military involvement.
Steve Bannon, one of Mr Trump's 2016 campaign's senior advisers, told an audience in Washington that bitter feelings over Iraq were a driving force for Mr Trump's first presidential candidacy and the Maga (Make American Great Again) movement, saying that 'one of the core tenets is no forever wars'.
But Mr Bannon — a longtime Trump ally who served a four-month sentence for defying a subpoena in the congressional investigation into the US Capitol attack on January 6 2021 — went on to suggest Mr Trump will maintain loyalty from his base no matter what. On Wednesday, he acknowledged that while he and others will argue against military intervention, 'the Maga movement will back Trump'.
Ultimately, Mr Bannon said Mr Trump will have to make the case to the American people if he wants to get involved in Iran, and he has not done that yet.
'We don't like it. Maybe we hate it,' Mr Bannon said, predicting what the Maga response would be. 'But, you know, we'll get on board.'
Alex Jones, the right-wing conspiracy theorist and Infowars host on Wednesday posted on social media a side-by-side of Mr Trump's official presidential photo and an AI-generated composite of Mr Trump and former president George W Bush, who Mr Trump and many of his allies have long disparaged for involving the US in the so-called 'forever wars' in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Writing 'What you voted for' above Mr Trump's image and 'What you got' above the composite, Jones added: 'I hope this is not the case.'
Commentator Tucker Carlson's rhetoric towards Mr Trump has been increasingly critical, with the longtime supporter — who headlined large rallies with the Republican during the 2024 campaign — this week suggesting the president's strategy was breaking his pledge to keep the US out of new foreign entanglements. Mr Trump hit back at Carlson on social media, calling him 'kooky'.
During an event at the White House later on Wednesday, the president said Carlson had 'called and apologised', adding that Carlson 'is a nice guy'.
On Wednesday, Carlson's conversation with Republican senator Ted Cruz laid bare the divides among many Republicans. The two sparred for two hours over a variety of issues, primarily potential US involvement in Iran, and Carlson accused Mr Cruz of placing too much emphasis on protecting Israel in his foreign policy worldview.
'You don't know anything about Iran,' Carlson said after the senator said he did not know Iran's population, or its ethnic composition. 'You're a senator who's calling for the overthrow of a government, and you don't know anything about the country.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
38 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Lammy travels to Washington as Trump weighs strikes on Iran
David Lammy and secretary of state Marco Rubio will discuss the Middle East as potential American involvement in the conflict looms. It comes after Sir Keir Starmer convened a Cobra meeting of senior ministers on Wednesday to give updates on ongoing diplomatic efforts and UK support for British nationals in the region. The high-level meeting came on the heels of his return from the G7 summit in Canada, at which he and other world leaders reiterated their 'commitment to peace and stability'. But the US president, who left the summit a day early, told reporters outside the White House he was considering strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. He said: 'I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.' Israel and Iran have been exchanging fire for days after air strikes, which Tel Aviv said were aimed at preventing Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iranian officials insist the country's nuclear programme is peaceful, and claim Israel has caused hundreds of civilian casualties. Israeli air defence system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv (Leo Correa/AP) The group Human Rights Activists, based in Washington, said Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 639 people with 263 of them identified as civilians. The Israeli military said Tehran and other areas of Iran were being targeted during the latest round of airstrikes on Thursday, warning people in a post on X to evacuate the area around the Arak heavy water reactor, about 155 miles south west of the capital. Iranian state television said the reactor had been attacked, but had been evacuated and there was 'no radiation danger whatsoever'. Members of the public in Israel were told to take shelter, with the military saying Iran had fired more missiles. US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking to the media at the G7 summit (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Tensions are now ratcheting up between the US and Iran, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejecting Mr Trump's call for surrender and warning that any American military involvement would result in 'irreparable damage' to the US. The Foreign Secretary's talks in Washington will cover the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine, as well as the UK-US trade deal, parts of which were finalised by Sir Keir and Mr Trump at the G7. Meanwhile, nuclear talks with Iran and senior diplomats from the UK, Germany and France as well as the EU will take place in Geneva on Friday, a European official told the Associated Press. In his comments outside the White House, Mr Trump had suggested the US could still hold talks with Iran. 'I can tell you this, Iran has got a lot of trouble and they want to negotiate,' he said. He said 'it's very late to be talking', but 'we may meet'. If the US decides to go ahead with strikes, it could seek to use the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, which the UK would reportedly need to sign off on. Under the recently agreed deal to hand back the Chagos Islands, the UK leases the base from Mauritius, while the US pays for its operating costs. Sir Keir had played down the prospect of US intervention, telling reporters at the G7 that 'nothing' he had heard from the president suggested Washington was poised to get involved. Asked whether the Prime Minister was confident that Mr Trump would not involve US forces in the conflict, a Number 10 spokesman on Wednesday said the UK's position was still that 'we want to de-escalate rather than escalate'. The US State Department has started evacuating non-essential diplomats and their families from the American embassy in Israel. The US is also making plans for evacuation flights and ships for private citizens, the country's ambassador to Israel said. The UK's Foreign Office has evacuated family members of embassy staff from Israel, but has not advised British nationals to leave the country. Foreign Secretary David Lammy (left) and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Ben Whitley/PA) The department said the evacuation was temporary and a 'precautionary measure', with staff remaining at the embassy in Tel Aviv and the consulate in Jerusalem. Britons have already been advised against all travel to Israel and those already in the country have been urged to register their presence with the embassy. The Foreign Office has also said land borders with Jordan and Egypt remain open, and consular teams are in position to provide assistance to British nationals who choose to leave Israel by land. Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer said: 'Our first job is to keep British nationals safe, and our dedicated teams in the region are working around the clock to do this. 'We are asking all British nationals in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to register their presence so that we can share our updates with them and make sure we're giving them the best advice possible.'
South Wales Argus
39 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Trump will not say whether he will move forward with US strikes on Iran
'I may do it, I may not do it,' Mr Trump said in an exchange with reporters at the White House. 'I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.' Mr Trump added that it is not 'too late' for Iran to give up its nuclear programme as he continues to weigh direct US involvement in Israel's military operations aimed at crushing Tehran's options. 'Nothing's too late,' Mr Trump said. 'I can tell you this. Iran's got a lot of trouble.' 'Nothing is finished until it is finished,' Mr Trump added. But 'the next week is going to be very big — maybe less than a week'. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP) Mr Trump also offered a terse response to Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's refusal to heed to his call for Iran to submit to an unconditional surrender. 'I say good luck,' Mr Trump said. Mr Khamenei earlier warned that any United States strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will 'result in irreparable damage for them' and that his country would not bow to Mr Trump's call for surrender. Mr Trump said on Tuesday the US knows where Iran's Mr Khamenei is hiding as the the Israel-Iran conflict escalates but does not want him killed — 'for now'. 'He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,' Mr Trump said. In a video address to Israelis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed appreciation for Mr Trump's support, calling him 'a great friend of Israel' and praising US help defending Israel's skies. 'We speak constantly, including last night,' Mr Netanyahu said on Wednesday. 'We had a very warm conversation.' Mr Trump's increasingly muscular comments toward the Iranian government come after he urged Tehran's 9.5 million residents to flee for their lives as he cut short his participation in an international summit earlier this week to return to Washington for urgent talks with his national security team. Mr Trump said that the Iranian officials continue to reach out to the White House as they are 'getting the hell beaten out of them' by Israel. But he added there is a 'big difference between now and a week ago' in Tehran's negotiating position. 'They've suggested that they come to the White House — that's, you know, courageous,' Mr Trump said. Iran's mission to the United Nations refuted Mr Trump's claim in a statement on social media. 'No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to 'take out' Iran's Supreme Leader.' Vladimir Putin offered on Wednesday to help mediate an end to the conflict, suggesting Moscow could help negotiate a settlement that could allow Tehran to pursue a peaceful atomic programme while assuaging Israeli security concerns. The Russian president noted that 'it's a delicate issue' but added that 'in my view, a solution could be found'. He said he had shared Moscow's proposals with Iran, Israel and the US. His comments follow a mediation offer he made in a call with Mr Trump last weekend. Mr Trump said he told Mr Putin to keep focused on finding a solution to his own conflict with Ukraine. 'I said, 'Do me a favour, mediate your own',' Mr Trump said he told Mr Putin. 'I said, 'Vladimir, let's mediate Russia first. You can worry about this later'.' The Russia-Iran relationship has deepened since Mr Putin launched a war on Ukraine in February 2022, with Tehran providing Moscow with drones, ballistic missiles, and other support, according to US intelligence findings.
Powys County Times
3 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Trump will not say whether he will move forward with US strikes on Iran
President Donald Trump would not say whether he has decided to order a US strike on Iran, a move that Tehran warned anew would be greeted with stiff retaliation if it happens. 'I may do it, I may not do it,' Mr Trump said in an exchange with reporters at the White House. 'I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.' Mr Trump added that it is not 'too late' for Iran to give up its nuclear programme as he continues to weigh direct US involvement in Israel's military operations aimed at crushing Tehran's options. 'Nothing's too late,' Mr Trump said. 'I can tell you this. Iran's got a lot of trouble.' 'Nothing is finished until it is finished,' Mr Trump added. But 'the next week is going to be very big — maybe less than a week'. Mr Trump also offered a terse response to Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's refusal to heed to his call for Iran to submit to an unconditional surrender. 'I say good luck,' Mr Trump said. Mr Khamenei earlier warned that any United States strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will 'result in irreparable damage for them' and that his country would not bow to Mr Trump's call for surrender. Mr Trump said on Tuesday the US knows where Iran's Mr Khamenei is hiding as the the Israel-Iran conflict escalates but does not want him killed — 'for now'. 'He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,' Mr Trump said. In a video address to Israelis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed appreciation for Mr Trump's support, calling him 'a great friend of Israel' and praising US help defending Israel's skies. 'We speak constantly, including last night,' Mr Netanyahu said on Wednesday. 'We had a very warm conversation.' Mr Trump's increasingly muscular comments toward the Iranian government come after he urged Tehran's 9.5 million residents to flee for their lives as he cut short his participation in an international summit earlier this week to return to Washington for urgent talks with his national security team. Mr Trump said that the Iranian officials continue to reach out to the White House as they are 'getting the hell beaten out of them' by Israel. But he added there is a 'big difference between now and a week ago' in Tehran's negotiating position. 'They've suggested that they come to the White House — that's, you know, courageous,' Mr Trump said. Iran's mission to the United Nations refuted Mr Trump's claim in a statement on social media. 'No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to 'take out' Iran's Supreme Leader.' Vladimir Putin offered on Wednesday to help mediate an end to the conflict, suggesting Moscow could help negotiate a settlement that could allow Tehran to pursue a peaceful atomic programme while assuaging Israeli security concerns. The Russian president noted that 'it's a delicate issue' but added that 'in my view, a solution could be found'. He said he had shared Moscow's proposals with Iran, Israel and the US. His comments follow a mediation offer he made in a call with Mr Trump last weekend. Mr Trump said he told Mr Putin to keep focused on finding a solution to his own conflict with Ukraine. 'I said, 'Do me a favour, mediate your own',' Mr Trump said he told Mr Putin. 'I said, 'Vladimir, let's mediate Russia first. You can worry about this later'.' The Russia-Iran relationship has deepened since Mr Putin launched a war on Ukraine in February 2022, with Tehran providing Moscow with drones, ballistic missiles, and other support, according to US intelligence findings.
