Trump expressed confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Iran strategy. The Senate began voting on Jay Clayton's nomination to lead U.S. intelligence.
10:46 PM
President Donald Trump expressed confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's handling of Iran policy, saying Hegseth "has done a great job" when asked by reporters if he was frustrated with the official's early advice on the conflict.
Trump said that Hegseth and others had advised him that Iran was actively preparing to attack the United States and that the situation was rapidly approaching "a point of no return," leading them to advocate for pre-emptive military action. According to Trump, these officials believed that without U.S. strikes, Iran would not have agreed to meet with American representatives.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump claimed that Iran had requested a meeting "through their surrogates and directly." He stated that Iran would not have sought talks if the United States were "doing poorly," attributing the Iranian willingness to negotiate to the intensity of American military operations. "The only reason they want to meet is because we've been hitting them very hard," Trump said.
Trump made these remarks after wrapping up a visit to the General Motors Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate began voting on the nomination of Jay Clayton to lead the nation's intelligence apparatus. Clayton was selected by Trump for the position.
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