Trump doubles down on his remark about not thinking about Americans' financial situation: 'That's a perfect statement'

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Source: The Independent

Saturday 16 May 2026 06:43 EDT


Donald Trump has doubled down on his remark about not considering the financial plight of everyday Americans when considering foreign policy, saying that what he had said was a “perfect statement.”. “I’d make it again,” the president replied, when asked about the comments by Fox News’ Bret Baier, in an interview that aired Friday evening following his two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Shortly before his departure for Beijing, Trump was asked to what extent “Americans’ financial situations” motivated him to strike a deal with Iran and open the Strait of Hormuz. “Not even a little bit, I don’t think about the Americans’ financial situation, I don’t think about anybody,” he replied.

Speaking to Baier, Trump defended the comment, saying that Americans would be facing “short-term pain,” with regard to gas prices, which have more than doubled and remained consistently high since the start of the war in February. The current national average price for regular gasoline in the U.S. is about $4.53 per gallon, according to GasBuddy. This is up roughly $0.40 from last month and more than $1.30 higher than the same time last year.

Elsewhere in the interview, Baier read statements from several Trump supporters who complained the president had “broken promises” of keeping the U.S. out of foreign wars and keeping costs low. “It’s going to come down very fast,” Trump replied before going on to brag about the stock market.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-iran-war-costs-americans-remark-b2977724.html