President Donald Trump stunned reporters in the Oval Office by declaring that rising inflation and stock market losses linked to the conflict with Iran were a price worth paying to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

The 79-year-old president made the remarks on Wednesday when questioned about inflation reaching a three-year high of 4.2 per cent last month as energy prices climbed during the war.

Rather than expressing concern, Trump insisted he was pleased with the figures and argued that the economic impact formed part of a broader strategy behind the military action. "No, I love it – the numbers were great," Trump told reporters.

"You know what I really love? I love the inflation."

The extraordinary comments came as Trump claimed the United States had been quietly removing millions of barrels of oil from the market through military action against Iran. According to the president, those operations helped drive oil prices to $85 a barrel.

Trump said: "Because as soon as this war is over, you know, I can say it now, something you didn't know." "You know, we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil, nobody knows it."

He went on to claim that Iran itself had been unaware of the operations until his remarks.

"You know who doesn't know about it? Iran, until right now we took out the other night 22 ships late at night with no lights because they don't have any radar because we blasted the crap out of it."

"We took out, that's why oil is $85 a barrel."

The president also revealed details of discussions he said took place before the military operation that launched the conflict.

According to Trump, he gathered key members of his administration to discuss the potential consequences of attacking Iran.

Among those he named were Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Trump said he warned officials that military action could damage what he described as a booming economy.

"I mean, you take a look – remember when I did this?" he said.

"I said, look, the one bad thing will be we hit the best economy we've ever hit."

The president claimed the United States had recently achieved record stock market levels and record 401(k) retirement account values before the attack. "We had just hit the highest stock market in history, highest 401ks in history," Trump said.

"Everything was going well."

Despite those concerns, Trump said he concluded that action against Iran was necessary because he believed the country was close to obtaining a nuclear weapon. "I said, I hate to do this to you guys, but Iran's going to have a nuclear weapon very soon."

"We have to go and attack."

Trump said the operation involved B-2 bombers and described the mission as a success. "So we hit him with the B-2 bombers, which took a lot of courage," he said. "It was totally successful."

The president claimed the strikes had effectively buried their target and made it extremely difficult to access. He also acknowledged that experts had predicted a significant market reaction following the attack.

According to Trump, some forecasts suggested stocks could fall by as much as 25 per cent. However, he insisted that any economic pain was justified.

"I said, you know, the bad part is the stock market will go down by little bit – a lot, based on predictions of experts, like 25 percent, and it was worth it to me."

"It was worth it not to have a nuclear weapon."

The remarks are likely to intensify debate over the economic consequences of the conflict and the administration's handling of inflation, energy prices and market performance. For now, Trump remains unapologetic, arguing that any financial fallout from the war was outweighed by what he described as the need to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.

Trump claims he tanked economy on purpose

Just running the country as he did all his failed bankrupt bussinessies. Should not be left in charge of a BBQ,.he would screw that up also.

Meh..... a bit of short term pain for long term gain.

My US stock positions still healthy. Balanced by my international holdings. No biggie.

Thanks to Mr Trump the world is a little bit safer today, and the gravy still flowing nicely.

22 minutes ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Meh..... a bit of short term pain for long term gain.

My US stock positions still healthy. Balanced by my international holdings. No biggie.

Thanks to Mr Trump the world is a little bit safer today, and the gravy still flowing nicely.

yep. iran can never have a nuke

1 hour ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Meh..... a bit of short term pain for long term gain.

My US stock positions still healthy. Balanced by my international holdings. No biggie.

Thanks to Mr Trump the world is a little bit safer today, and the gravy still flowing nicely.

And how many children were killed to balance your international holdings? Sure would be a "biggie" if some of those children were yours.

Edited June 10Jun 10 by HappyExpat57

17 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

And how many children were killed to balance your international holdings? Sure would be a "biggie" if some of those children were yours.

well the chances of our dead kids are going down. thats what counts

Trump planning to expand nuclear energy.

Edited June 10Jun 10 by save the frogs

3 hours ago, bannork said:

President Donald Trump stunned reporters in the Oval Office by declaring that rising inflation and stock market losses linked to the conflict with Iran were a price worth paying to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

The 79-year-old president made the remarks on Wednesday when questioned about inflation reaching a three-year high of 4.2 per cent last month as energy prices climbed during the war.

Rather than expressing concern, Trump insisted he was pleased with the figures and argued that the economic impact formed part of a broader strategy behind the military action. "No, I love it – the numbers were great," Trump told reporters.

"You know what I really love? I love the inflation."

The extraordinary comments came as Trump claimed the United States had been quietly removing millions of barrels of oil from the market through military action against Iran. According to the president, those operations helped drive oil prices to $85 a barrel.

Trump said: "Because as soon as this war is over, you know, I can say it now, something you didn't know." "You know, we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil, nobody knows it."

He went on to claim that Iran itself had been unaware of the operations until his remarks.

"You know who doesn't know about it? Iran, until right now we took out the other night 22 ships late at night with no lights because they don't have any radar because we blasted the crap out of it."

"We took out, that's why oil is $85 a barrel."

The president also revealed details of discussions he said took place before the military operation that launched the conflict.

According to Trump, he gathered key members of his administration to discuss the potential consequences of attacking Iran.

Among those he named were Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Trump said he warned officials that military action could damage what he described as a booming economy.

"I mean, you take a look – remember when I did this?" he said.

"I said, look, the one bad thing will be we hit the best economy we've ever hit."

The president claimed the United States had recently achieved record stock market levels and record 401(k) retirement account values before the attack. "We had just hit the highest stock market in history, highest 401ks in history," Trump said.

"Everything was going well."

Despite those concerns, Trump said he concluded that action against Iran was necessary because he believed the country was close to obtaining a nuclear weapon. "I said, I hate to do this to you guys, but Iran's going to have a nuclear weapon very soon."

"We have to go and attack."

Trump said the operation involved B-2 bombers and described the mission as a success. "So we hit him with the B-2 bombers, which took a lot of courage," he said. "It was totally successful."

The president claimed the strikes had effectively buried their target and made it extremely difficult to access. He also acknowledged that experts had predicted a significant market reaction following the attack.

According to Trump, some forecasts suggested stocks could fall by as much as 25 per cent. However, he insisted that any economic pain was justified.

"I said, you know, the bad part is the stock market will go down by little bit – a lot, based on predictions of experts, like 25 percent, and it was worth it to me."

"It was worth it not to have a nuclear weapon."

The remarks are likely to intensify debate over the economic consequences of the conflict and the administration's handling of inflation, energy prices and market performance. For now, Trump remains unapologetic, arguing that any financial fallout from the war was outweighed by what he described as the need to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.

Trump claims he tanked economy on purpose

He loves inflation, but hates high interest rates. That's like saying I hate God, but want to go to heaven. What an imbecile!

Do not over look how Trump's effect on the next current Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) increase now estimated 4.7 percent

6 hours ago, Yagoda said:

yep. iran can never have a nuke

If that truly was Trump's intention, he wouldn't have quashed the JCPOA, where Iran was completely out of the nuke game. Since that was Obama's accomplishment, however, and because Obama has lived rent free in Trump's otherwise empty head since the jokes at the Correspondents Dinner, Trump had to mess things up. That is what does does best...mess things up.

As for Iran and nukes now, Iran was not even remotely close to a bomb, nor close to the means of delivering it to the US via an ICBM. You would be long dead and buried before that was even a possibility.

7 hours ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Meh..... a bit of short term pain for long term gain.

My US stock positions still healthy. Balanced by my international holdings. No biggie.

Thanks to Mr Trump the world is a little bit safer today, and the gravy still flowing nicely.

So far no gain at all.

So there must be a huge future gain just to compensate for the current pain.
After Trump barred international recognized experts to monitor Irans nuclear activities I wonder what might be a better way to control it.

I also wonder: initially Trumps followers argued: if you do not want to get rid off the Iranian regime you are acting in favour of them. Now, after Trump failed 100% to get rid of these monsters in control of Iran, he even gave up this goal. Is he now also for them?

His support is dwindeling.

14 hours ago, bannork said:

According to Trump, he gathered key members of his administration to discuss the potential consequences of attacking Iran. Among those he named were Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Todd Blanche.

All military geniuses, unaware or unconcerned with intelligence to the contrary. What a zoo.

7 hours ago, Wingate said:

If that truly was Trump's intention, he wouldn't have quashed the JCPOA, where Iran was completely out of the nuke game

that depends if you are stupid, brainwashed or paid enough to beleive anything an iranian terrorist says.

7 hours ago, zappalot said:

So far no gain at all.

So there must be a huge future gain just to compensate for the current pain.
After Trump barred international recognized experts to monitor Irans nuclear activities I wonder what might be a better way to control it.

I also wonder: initially Trumps followers argued: if you do not want to get rid off the Iranian regime you are acting in favour of them. Now, after Trump failed 100% to get rid of these monsters in control of Iran, he even gave up this goal. Is he now also for them?

After Trump failed 100% to get rid of these monsters in control of Iran, his followers now claim that regime change was never the goal of the special operation. 😂

2 hours ago, Yagoda said:

that depends if you are stupid, brainwashed or paid enough to beleive anything an iranian terrorist says.

even Israel intelligence found one year after Obamas Iran deal that Iran was complying. Compliance stopped after the dealmaker of all dealmakers got his hands involved.

Not sure who is stupid, brainwashed or getting paid enough (Trump surely is)...

17 hours ago, Yagoda said:

yep. iran can never have a nuke

Only Israel can, according to MAGAS

2 hours ago, still kicking said:

Only Israel can, according to MAGAS

exactly. trustworthy, decent, important western democracy beset by all sorts of barbarian, primitive, scumbag enemies. they should have them, far more so than the racist colonialist french and british, the racist revanchist chinese, the perfidious muslim supremacist pakistanis, the aggressive russians.......

2 hours ago, zappalot said:

even Israel intelligence found one year after Obamas Iran deal that Iran was complying. Compliance stopped after the dealmaker of all dealmakers got his hands involved.

Not sure who is stupid, brainwashed or getting paid enough (Trump surely is)...

source?

you think the mullahs are trustworthy then?

48 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

source?

you think the mullahs are trustworthy then?

https://www.runi.ac.il/media/jspllhvl/iaeafebruary2016iraninspectionreport.pdf

I do not understand what you mean. It was never about trust. It were independent, by the USA recognized IAEA inspectors who had access to any location they deemed necessary and checked Irans compliance.

Because Obama knew also that these mullahs are as little trustworthy as e.g. trump...

Who said the Mullahs are trustworthy? Why do you and all the other trumpers always come up with this nonsense putting statements in other peoples mouths that they never made.

With claiming dozens of times a deal is close with never any deal anywhere in sight I think it is someone else who is probably even less trustworthy then your mullahs...

10 minutes ago, zappalot said:

https://www.runi.ac.il/media/jspllhvl/iaeafebruary2016iraninspectionreport.pdf

I do not understand what you mean. It was never about trust. It were independent, by the USA recognized IAEA inspectors who had access to any location they deemed necessary and checked Irans compliance.

Because Obama knew also that these mullahs are as little trustworthy as e.g. trump...

Who said the Mullahs are trustworthy? Why do you and all the other trumpers always come up with this nonsense putting statements in other peoples mouths that they never made.

With claiming dozens of times a deal is close with never any deal anywhere in sight I think it is someone else who is probably even less trustworthy then your mullahs...

got it. you beleive the mullahs, with their long history of terror and murder are trustworthy. death to america is just a slogan

is america great yet? from an outsiders view it looks far from greatness, indeed the current iranian conflict shows how impotent america is.

@still kicking Please do not make emoji only posts/replies.

1 hour ago, Yagoda said:

got it. you beleive the mullahs, with their long history of terror and murder are trustworthy. death to america is just a slogan

And if you think Trump is trustworthy. Oh,never mind.

The "Iran can't have a nuclear weapon" will always be the go to, no matter how stupid he looks with this war.

Comes from the "witch hunt", "hoax", "fake news", "rigged elections" playbook.

During the first Trump term, I would sometimes have to catch myself because even though I thought and think that Trump is uniquely despicable and dangerous, the fact remains that if you just want to look at the number of lives lost and global damage done, George W. Bush really outstripped him. Trump is maybe a worse person, but the damage that he did in his first term was much more contained.

I think that in the second Trump term he’s changed that very quickly. Not just by taking America’s soft power and setting it on fire in all sorts of ways, but really making these abrupt decisions that are going to kill hundreds of thousands and maybe more than a million people and he’s doing it in this incredibly arbitrary, careless way.

Trump is destroying the US economy one step at a time. It could be intentional. It could be diabolical. Nobody knows. He could simply be unhinged or following the dictates of a very sinister cabal. 

One thing is certain. He is accomplishing very little, he will NOT bring manufacturing back to America, which is stupid over priced (I am here now and inflation is raging at 20% or higher right now), he is causing alot of pain, he is losing support, destroying businesses, and consumer confidence, he does not have a coherent plan, and he is a destructive nimwit.

He's engaging in nothing but massive destruction of the economy, the environment, the land, the seas, the air, the national lands, the wilderness areas, our alliance with close friends and long term allies, aligning himself with dictators and serial killing despots, and tearing down everything that's good about the world. That is just who Trump is. 

 

Globalization made the world great, the manufacturing ecosystems within globalization and low tariffs allowed the US economy to thrive for decades, and he's never going to bring back manufacturing to the US. End of story, just a slogan. The fact that so many people are buying into his nonsense and destruction, is what is truly sad. And that is not a party that I want to have anything to do with, on any level, at any time.

I don’t think he has a coherent value structure as most of us understand it. I think we’re seeing a president who’s operating without anything any of us would recognize as a conscience. Truly.

It is about showing what he can get away with. It’s about showing his enemies that what they support, he can tear down. It is all about displays of brute strength. He gets off on that, and in that sense, it seems not so much an autocracy but a flexocracy. Let me show you how I can flex my bicep as I use it to power my fist coming into your face.

It’s not about any coherent values. It’s not about any North Star. It’s about showing that you can turn the boat 180 degrees around and that you can do whatever you want and you can bring the people who opposed you to their knees.

17 hours ago, Wingate said:

If that truly was Trump's intention, he wouldn't have quashed the JCPOA, where Iran was completely out of the nuke game. Since that was Obama's accomplishment, however, and because Obama has lived rent free in Trump's otherwise empty head since the jokes at the Correspondents Dinner, Trump had to mess things up. That is what does does best...mess things up.

As for Iran and nukes now, Iran was not even remotely close to a bomb, nor close to the means of delivering it to the US via an ICBM. You would be long dead and buried before that was even a possibility.

If anything the war has virtually guaranteed Iran will acquire a nuclear capability at some time in the future. The difference is they might not seek a homegrown capability anymore, but might decide a third party route is the fastest way to guarantee national survival. They would, possibly correctly, conclude that being a member of the nuclear club means being able to act with impunity.

What will the United States do if North Korean transport effect a transfer using chartered Russian heavy lift aircraft?

3 hours ago, Hawaiian said:

And if you think Trump is trustworthy. Oh,never mind.

ive seen far more untrustworthy. kennedy. nixon. johnson. obama come to mind

1 hour ago, Roadsternut said:

If anything the war has virtually guaranteed Iran will acquire a nuclear capability at some time in the future. The difference is they might not seek a homegrown capability anymore, but might decide a third party route is the fastest way to guarantee national survival. They would, possibly correctly, conclude that being a member of the nuclear club means being able to act with impunity.

What will the United States do if North Korean transport effect a transfer using chartered Russian heavy lift aircraft?

A possibility and not a pleasant thought. Hopefully the IRGC loses their grip on the country and that doesn't happen.

5 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

ive seen far more untrustworthy. kennedy. nixon. johnson. obama come to mind

Trump's "rule" isn't over yet.