US President Donald Trump has defended comments that he is not considering Americans’ financial situation while negotiating an end to the conflict with Iran, saying his focus remains on preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
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Speaking in an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier on Friday, Trump described his earlier remarks as a “perfect statement” and said he would repeat them if asked again.
“I’d make it again,” he said after being shown a clip of his previous comments.
The remarks came after Trump told reporters earlier in the week that he was not thinking about the economic impact on Americans “even a little bit” as he works to resolve the months-long Iran conflict.
Focus on nuclear threat
Trump said his priority in negotiations with Iran was to ensure the country does not develop nuclear weapons.
“The only thing that matters, when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he said earlier this week.
“I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: You cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
The comments drew criticism from Democrats, while some Republicans defended the president’s stance.
In the Fox News interview, which was recorded during Trump’s visit to China, the president acknowledged there could be “short-term pain” as negotiations continue and efforts are made to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The key shipping route is one of the world’s busiest oil transit corridors. A blockade linked to the conflict has pushed global energy prices higher.
Energy prices and the conflict
Trump said he would accept higher fuel prices temporarily if it helped achieve US objectives in the conflict.
“When you tell somebody you’re going to pay a little more for gasoline for a very short period of time… everybody says that’s fine,” he said.
He also described the reporter’s question that prompted his earlier remarks as “a fake question”.
Fuel prices in the United States have risen sharply since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February.
According to data from the American Automobile Association, the national average price for gasoline has climbed to more than $4.50 a gallon, an increase of roughly 50%.
Trump said he expected prices to fall once shipping through the Strait of Hormuz resumes.
“Don’t forget, they have a lot of boats that are loaded up with oil that are going to bring the oil out as soon as this is over,” he said, adding that he believed the situation would be resolved quickly.
Midterm political pressure
Rising fuel costs and declining approval ratings have added pressure on Republicans as they approach November’s midterm elections.
The party currently holds narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress, raising concerns among some lawmakers about the political impact of the conflict with Iran.
Trump said, however, that electoral considerations would not influence his decisions on the issue.
“I’m not going to let the election determine what’s going to happen with respect to Iran,” he said, repeating that Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 17 May 2026
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