Donald Trump declined repeatedly to answer a question about whether he would order a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities – as he reiterated a stark warning if Hamas does not release U.S. hostages by his inauguration.
Trump was asked about Iran following reports he was considering preemptive strikes as a way to stop Tehran from being able to develop a nuclear bomb.
Trump at first ridiculed the question, then refused to answer it. ‘Well, I can’t tell you that. I mean it’s a wonderful question,’ Trump began.
‘Why would I say that? Can you imagine if I said yes or no? You’d say: that was strange that he answered that question.’
‘Am I going to do preemptive strikes or Iran? Is that a serious question. How could I answer a question like that?’
Asked to follow up about Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities – the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump told PM Benjamin Netanyahu that he is concerned about Iran developing nukes on his watch – Trump continued: ‘How could I tell you a thing like that now? It’s just so – You don’t talk about that before something may or may not happen … it’s just not something that I would ever answer.’
He spoke days after the sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, as Russia is bogged down in Ukraine and Israeli strikes pounded Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy that had helped prop up Assad. Trump during his first term pulled the U.S. back from an Iran nuclear deal that he said was a bad agreement.
The exchange was just one of the times Trump delved into foreign policy pronouncements as he approaches the start of his second term – at a time when he said ‘the whole world is blowing up.’
Another came when he was asked to explain his threat that there would be ‘hell to pay’ if the hostages aren’t released when he takes office on January 20. The outgoing Biden administration continues to negotiate for a cease fire and hostage release deal.
Trump indicated that he had spoken to Netanyahu for an update on the situation.
‘Well, they’re going to have to determine what that means, but it means it won’t be pleasant. It’s not going to be pleasant,’ was all Trump would allow.
Trump also criticized the Biden administration for allowing Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weapons to strike inside Russia amid its ongoing war to repel the invation.
‘I don’t think they should have allowed missiles to be shot 200 miles into Russia. I think that was a bad thing, and that brought the Koreans – North Korea another man I get along with very well,’ he said, referencing dictator Kim Jong-un.
The administration said it authorzed the use as a response to Russia bringing in thousands of North Korean troops – not the other way around.
Asked if he would reverse the move, Trump responded: ‘I might, yeah. I thought it was a very stupid thing to do.’
Asked what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should be prepared to give up to Russia, Trump responded: ‘He should be prepared to make a deal – that’s all.’
‘Got to be a deal,’ Trump said. ‘Too many people being killed. That is a war. – – too many – gotta make a deal. And Putin has to make a deal.’