Overview
- During a press gaggle on Air Force One, a CNN reporter asked if Iran takes his threats seriously, and President Trump replied, “What a stupid question.”
- Trump pointed to the killings of Qasem Soleimani and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and to recent U.S. action in Venezuela as evidence his threats carry weight.
- He reiterated that the U.S. could hit Iran “very hard” and described “very strong options,” warning of a powerful response if U.S. targets are attacked.
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded on X with a scathing post declaring that Trump “will be overthrown.”
- The exchange fits a pattern of Trump denigrating journalists, with recent examples highlighting sharp attacks directed at female reporters.