President Donald Trump isn't backing down from his controversial take that stopping Iran from getting a nuclear bomb is more important than Americans' rising cost-of-living concerns. In fact, he's doubling down.
Speaking to Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Friday, just before returning from a summit in Beijing, Trump stood by remarks he made earlier this week that seemed to dismiss affordability worries during Iran negotiations.
"That's a perfect statement. I'd make it again," Trump said.
The president had previously told reporters that the "only thing" guiding his approach was preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. "The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon," Trump said on Tuesday. He added, "I don't think about Americans' financial situation, I don't think about anybody."
The comments come as Americans grapple with higher gas prices and inflation, partly tied to the ongoing conflict in Iran. But for Trump, the nuclear threat outweighs those pocketbook concerns.
On Thursday, Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing to hash out trade relations and global security issues, including Iran and Taiwan. Trump pushed for stronger U.S. trade gains, while both leaders agreed Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons and stressed keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. Xi warned that Taiwan tensions could severely damage U.S.-China relations.
Last week, Trump rejected Iran's peace response as "totally unacceptable" and said the ceasefire was "on life support." Iran pushed back, demanding an end to military action, compensation, and control over key oil routes, while warning of retaliation if pressure continues. Trump later reaffirmed his rejection of Iran's proposal on Truth Social, signaling stalled negotiations as tensions continue to escalate.
This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by MarketDash editors.
