As the war on Iran continues, President Donald Trump responded to questions from the press on Monday (March 9) with answers that contradicted themselves, to the point where observers again questioned his mental health.
Trump was asked for clarification on his remarks that the war was “very complete,” which differed from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s vow that “this is just the beginning” earlier in the day. “So which is it?” the reporter asked. “And how long should Americans be prepared for this war to last?”
Trump replied, “Well I think you could say both. It’s the beginning of building a new country. But they certainly – they have no Navy, they have no Air Force. They have no anti-aircraft equipment. It’s all been blown up.”
He was also grilled on his statement that Iran had Tomahawk missiles, which was seen as a deflection attempt. An elementary school in Iran was hit with a Tomahawk missle in the early hours of the war, according to reporting from AP News. The death toll from that strike has risen to nearly 200, mostly children. Trump replied, “I just don’t know enough about it.”
Trump also referred to the war as a “very short excursion” and that the 10-day “short-term” conflict could be almost over, though he would later state in a Truth Social post that he would be open to ordering more intense air strikes to free up the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is one of the world’s most vital channels, and it has been virtually closed to shipping traffic since the war began.
Other odd remarks by Trump included statements referring to the eight U.S. military casualties: “All of the people that died through the roadside bombs. Died and are right now walking around with no legs.” When asked about helping the people of Iran, he referred to them as “very menacing.”
In addition, there were reports that Trump and Russian President Vladmir Putin spoke about the war in Iran as well as the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, in which Trump called the Iran conflict “very complete.” That led the renowned chess champion and activist Garry Kasparov to write in a post on X, formerly Twitter, “Press one for treason.”
