President Donald Trump dodged a question on Tuesday about whether the United States would send military troops into Iran.
Trump was in the Oval Office with Irish Prime Minister Taoiseach Micheál Martin on St. Patrick's Day when he shrugged off a question about whether sending soldiers into the country was fast becoming an inevitability.
" Iran is just a military operation to me. Iran is something that was essentially largely over in two or three days," Trump said.
"Because the navy was wiped out almost immediately, the air force came next, the anti-aircraft came next," Trump said. "We're flying over Iran, we could take out their electric capacity in one hour. There's nothing they can do right now because everything is knocked out they have no, again, no radar, no anti-aircraft, no nothing."
At least 13 American troops have died and an estimated 200 service members have been wounded since the Iran war started, according to The Hill.
Later in the press conference, Trump referred to the conflict as a war. He said that the U.S. was "not ready to leave yet" and that it would in the "near future." No clear date or deadline was set.
Trump: "Iran is just a military operation to me. Iran is something that was essentially largely over in two or three days." pic.twitter.com/MXcq1nJcEo — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 17, 2026
CNN anchor Jim Sciutto reported that European Union (EU) officials had turned their backs on President Donald Trump in Iran after he poisoned the well by trying to take over Greenland and threatening the NATO alliance.
In an angry Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump said NATO countries "don't want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran."
"We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need," the U.S. president complained. "Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer 'need,' or desire, the NATO Countries' assistance — WE NEVER DID!"
"WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!"
Sciutto said he had spoken to EU officials about the president's accusations.
"Many already doubted Trump's commitment to their defense alliances, informed by his public questioning of Article 5, threats to reduce U.S. deployments, and generally dismissive rhetoric," Sciutto wrote on X. "His attempts to take Greenland were a breaking point for many. Some will see this not so much as punishment for failing to join the Iran war, but as his honest thoughts about alliances in general."
A military general revealed on Tuesday that more Trump administration resignations are likely on the horizon after Joe Kent, head of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned in protest over the U.S. war in Iran.
Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Steve Anderson told CNN anchors Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown that he expects more Trump allies to step down over the military conflict in the Middle East.
"I think that this is absolutely significant," Anderson said.
Kent, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, is the first to leave the administration over the war. The longtime MAGA ally announced his decision on X early Tuesday, saying “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
"I mean, think about the anguish that he went through to do this, to make this resignation," Anderson said. "This is an insider, this is a MAGA guy through and through. And this is a tremendous blow to President Trump. But it took an incredible amount of political courage for him to make the stand that he has made.
"I don't agree with his positions. I don't agree with a lot of things he's done in the background, but I respect him for his service to our nation. ... And for his ability to make a political stand here of the highest order. I'm very, very proud that he has chosen to do this.
"And I hope that this leads to other resignations, because this war is not going well, it's only getting worse, and I think that Joe Kent, by recognizing that there was no imminent threat, in actually putting that in writing and resigning as he did, is a tremendous, tremendous blow to the Trump administration."
House Speaker Mike Johnson attempted to define President Donald Trump's claim that he would end the Iran war when he feels it in his bones to mean "informed by the intelligence."
"President Trump recently said that the war in Iran will be over when he feels it in his bones," a reporter told Johnson on Tuesday. "What does he mean by that?"
"Well, I think his bones are informed by the intelligence, okay?" Johnson replied. "So, look, it's the commander-in-chief, whomever is the president, whomever is the commander-in-chief under our constitutional system is given a broad amount of latitude and authority."
"Their decisions are informed by all the intelligence and the experts, a large panel of them from the Joint Chiefs of Staff on down, who come in and advise the president, every president, makes a good decision. And hopefully they make a prayerful decision," he added. "I think this president will as well. He's getting great advice from great people. And I'm very encouraged about where we are. I think this will wind down quickly. And it's gonna be in the best interest of America going forward and of the whole world."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt fired back at U.S. intelligence official Joe Kent after he resigned over President Donald Trump's war with Iran.
"After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today," Kent wrote Tuesday in a post on X.
Kent insisted in his resignation letter that Iran had not posed an imminent threat.
"This is the same false claim that Democrats and some in the liberal media have been repeating over and over," Leavitt replied later on Tuesday. "Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism."
"The Iranian regime is evil. It proudly killed Americans, waged war against our country, and openly threatened us all the way up to the launch of Operation Epic Fury," she continued. "The President, through his top negotiators, gave the regime every single possible opportunity to abandon this unacceptable course by permanently giving up their nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief, free nuclear fuel, and potential economic partnerships with our country."
"President Trump ultimately made the determination that a joint attack with Israel would greatly reduce the risk to American lives that would come from a first strike by the terrorist Iranian regime and address this imminent threat to America's national security interests."
Leavitt also blasted Kent for suggesting that Iran had pushed him into the war.
"The Commander-in-Chief determines what does and does not constitute a threat, because he is the one constitutionally empowered to do so - and because the American people went to the ballot box and entrusted him and him alone to make such final judgments," she said. "And finally, the absurd allegation that President Trump made this decision based on the influence of others, even foreign countries, is both insulting and laughable. President Trump has been remarkably consistent and has said for DECADES that Iran can NEVER possess a nuclear weapon."
"As someone who actually witnesses President Trump's decision-making process on a daily basis, I can attest to the fact that he is always looking to do what's in the best interest of the United States of America — period," she added.
Trump was later asked about Kent's resignation.
"It's a good thing that he's out," the president said. "We don't want those people."
The abrupt resignation of Donald Trump’s director of the National Counterterrorism Center with a very public rebuttal of the Iran war could lead to more officials fleeing the embattled White House.
Early Tuesday morning, Joe Kent, who worked hand-in-hand with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, dealt a devastating blow to the president’s war narrative that was already being greeted with no small amount of skepticism.
On X, Kent wrote, “After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today. I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
Appearing on MS NOW just as the news broke, the New York Times Peter Baker told host Anna Cabrera, Kent’s high-profile departure could signal an exodus.
"Peter, we've seen rumblings of discontent between the president and some of his MAGA base over Iran, but most have stuck with Trump. Is this a sign the bases may be shakier than he may have thought?” Cabrera prompted her guest.
“Well, it would certainly be a warning on that front, and it will be interesting to see if anybody else follows Joe Kent out the door,” Baker replied. “Does this encourage otherswho might have doubts, who might be uncomfortable with what's going on, to speak out or take action themselves? We saw from the very beginning people like Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, a handful of others who say that Trump appealed to them when he first ran because he was going to keep them out of Middle East wars, because he promised no new wars, because he said no regime change.”
“Now, of course, this resignation underlines that there's a part of the base that's deeply uncomfortable with this,” he added. “So we'll see if this encourages others to take the same direction, but it will be seized on by a lot of people in the coalition as an example of what they have been personally thinking. And it will confirm to those who are very critical of Israel and that wing of the MAGA spectrum as well, that their suspicions are correct.”
MAGA followers were enraged Tuesday after Joe Kent, head of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned in protest over the U.S. war in Iran.
Kent, a longtime MAGA ally of President Donald Trump who was appointed by him, shared his public statement and rejection of the conflict in the Middle East. This was the first time an administration official had rebuked the military action and spoken out against it.
MAGA loyalists had seething responses to Kent's announcement:
"Gold Star wife here. My husband didn’t die for Israel. He died because this war has been targeting Americans for decades. Long before most people ever started paying attention. We didn’t suddenly stumble into this because of Israel. Our service members have been in the crosshairs of Iranian-backed terror networks for years. That’s the reality families like mine have lived with. So spare me the talking point that this is 'Israel’s war.' Some of us have already paid for it in American blood," Sharrell Anne, who self-describes as "America First" wrote in a post on X.
"Very disappointing from you. It's an insult to Trump to imply he has no agency and no ability to resist pressure from anyone, including Israel," Jon Murray, who shares pro-MAGA content and commentary, wrote on X.
"' Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation' ok good you left because seems like you're an ignorant ...," Samuel Cardillo, who frequently shares MAGA talking points, wrote on X.
“'Without getting us drawn into never-ending wars.' It’s been 3 weeks lol," conservative commentator and attorney Matt Bilinsky wrote on X.
"Joe Kent is a crazed egomaniac who was often at the center of national security leaks, while rarely (never?) producing any actual work. He spent all of his time working to subvert the chain of command and undermine the President of the United States. This isn’t some principled resignation—he just wanted to make a splash before getting canned. What a loser," Taylor Budowich, former deputy White House chief of staff and cabinet secretary to Trump, wrote on X.
Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation on X Tuesday by saying he “cannot in good conscience” back Donald Trump’s war in Iran. It delivered a jolt to the administration that is already reeling from a war that is going badly.
According to Kent, Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
Kent, known as a card-carrying member of the MAGA movement, was both lauded and accused of treason, with all agreeing his resignation is a game-changer for Turmp. One follower observed, “The dominoes are starting to fall. Those who want to save face should do the right thing and resign immediately. The overwhelming majority of the American people reject this war.”
Podcast producer Benjamin Rubinstein added, “This is a man who actually loves his country. Bravo.”
Asked for comment, retired Brigadier General Steve Anderson told CNN that the resignation is a “terrific blow to Trump'” and the “timing couldn't be worse.”
“This is incredibly honorable but now there is gonna be a coordinated attack against you by the same people that got us into this war...thank you Joe for your service brother,” wrote Real America’s Voice personality Alex Stein.
“This is the definition of America First. Thank you, Joe,” claimed The Maine Wonk.
Highbee Nation asserted, “A Green Beret who buried his wife to terrorism just told the most powerful man on earth no more forever wars for someone else's lobby. That's not disloyalty. That's the definition of America First.”
“The Director of the National Counterterrorism Center just resigned and publicly said Iran posed no imminent threat and the war was started due to Israeli lobby pressure. This isn’t a podcaster. This isn’t a pundit. This is the person literally in charge of tracking threats to America saying there WASN’T ONE. Read that again. The highest-ranking insider just confirmed everything the ‘traitors’ were saying from day one,” noted influencer tosino007.
Donald Trump's most loyal Iran war hawks are experiencing buyer's remorse as what they envisioned as a quick military victory threatens to metastasize into a prolonged, unpopular quagmire requiring American boots on the ground, according to a report.
More than two weeks into the campaign, insiders close to the White House are sounding the alarm — the president has lost control of the conflict's trajectory, Politico reported. Iran now holds the upper hand, they warn, and Trump may have boxed himself into a corner where escalation — potentially including a full ground invasion — becomes the only face-saving option.
"They decide how long we're involved — and they decide if we put boots on the ground. And it doesn't seem to me that there's a way around that, if we want to save face," one White House insider told Politico.
The core problem: securing oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz against Iranian attacks almost certainly requires seizing Iranian territory — a step that would inevitably mean deploying American troops on Iranian soil.
"The terms have changed," said a second person familiar with U.S. operations in Iran. "The off-ramps don't work anymore because Iran is driving the asymmetric action."
The deteriorating situation is rattling Trump's "America First" coalition, which fears the president is stumbling into exactly the kind of open-ended Middle East morass he spent a decade condemning. With Iran weaponizing oil market disruption to drive up gas prices, Republicans worry the conflict has become a political time bomb — especially heading into midterms when voters are already furious about inflation and affordability.
"For the White House, now the only easy day was yesterday," the insider added bluntly. "They need to worry about an unraveling."
Some Trump allies are still urging restraint, arguing the administration retains non-military tools to pressure Tehran. But they acknowledge each U.S. escalation narrows the exit ramps further.
The severity of the initial strikes compounds the problem. By killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with dozens of senior commanders and family members, Trump may have made Iranian capitulation impossible. The new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei — the late leader's son — has far less incentive to back down than his predecessor.
"You've killed one guy, the next guy up is even more radical. You killed his dad and his wife," one White House source said. "Do you think he's gonna be more — or less — reasonable?"
Venezuela and Italy faced off in the WBC semifinal, with Venezuela besting the Italians 4-2. After the game, Trump took to Truth Social to express his pleasure with the outcome.
"Wow! Venezuela defeated Italy tonight, 4-2, in the WBC (Baseball!) Semifinal. They are looking really great. Good things are happening to Venezuela lately!" Trump posted. "I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?"
Trump's comments came at a time when his administration is facing increased scrutiny for its foreign policy. Earlier this year, the Trump administration arrested Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro on gun charges and brought him to New York to face trial.
The Trump administration has also bombed multiple alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, killing more than 130 people, without providing evidence that the boats were connected to the drug trade.
Political analysts and observers shared their reactions on social media.
"Delusional," political commentator Intare Batinya posted on X. "Venezuela is a sovereign nation, not a potential 51st state. Stick to golf and leave the geopolitical magic to the experts. Annexing a country over a baseball game is a new level of unhinged."
"This guy is so obsessed with making it about him that he might show up to Miami tomorrow with Maduro in chains," writer Matt Burnell posted on X.
The U.S. and Venezuela will play in the WBC final on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump's call for reinforcements to open the Strait of Hormuz just created the "worst of all possible worlds," according to one analyst.
On Monday, Trump made several contradictory statements about whether the U.S. needs other countries to help it open the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts of 20% of all global energy trade. The Iranian regime has effectively closed the Strait to the U.S. and Israeli ships in retaliation for the two countries' conducting a coordinated bombing campaign in Iran that began in late February.
Van Jones, a former Obama administration advisor, argued on CNN's "NewsNight" with Abby Phillip that the Trump administration's inability to deal with this problem in advance has created the "worst of all possible worlds."
"My only point is it's this kind of ready-fire-aim stuff," Jones said about the administration's strategy in Iran. "There could have been a situation where you had the economic pressure, then the protests, then the military strikes, and you might actually have regime change. Now, we have the worst of all possible worlds, and it's not clear how to get out of it."
Analysts have noted that Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is its "strongest card" against Trump, meaning the country is unlikely to bend easily on the issue. That puts Trump in an awkward position in a war that he has struggled to justify at home.
A recent Washington Post poll found that 65% of Americans don't believe Trump has adequately explained the goals of the U.S. in deciding to bomb Iran.
Political analysts and observers were stunned on Monday after President Donald Trump casually dropped a threat to start a new war during a press conference in the Oval Office.
During an exchange with Peter Doocy of Fox News, Trump said he will take Cuba "in some form" at some point during his presidency.
"All my life, I have been hearing about the United States and Cuba. You know, 'When are they going to do it?'" Trump said. "I do believe I will be having the honor of taking Cuba. That's a big honor."
"Whether I free it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it, if you want to know the truth," Trump added.
The president's comments stunned political analysts and observers, who shared their reactions online.
"Dear god," David Adler, co-general coordinator of Progressive International, posted on X. "Donald Trump is once again announcing his plans for a violent invasion of Cuba. We must stop him. To stand up for Cuba — against this malignant colonial mindset — is to stand up for all of humanity."
"Like a small child talking about toys," Tom Nichols, staff writer at The Atlantic, posted on X.
"Every word uttered here is stark raving lunacy," retired Army officer Mike Colarusso posted on Bluesky.
"Hmmm … wonder if a certain dual-hatted Secretary of State/National Security Advisor has been playing to POTUS’s real estate developer instincts," Brian Finucane, senior advisor at International Crisis Group, posted on Bluesky.
Ex-GOP strategist Rick Wilson on Monday predicted what he thinks will be next for President Donald Trump as talks about who will succeed him in 2028 have heightened and questions over whether it will be Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Wilson was talking to MS NOW host Katy Tur about the dilemma Vance, who has been vocal about his stance against long wars in the Middle East, was facing. Vance has not publicly said he was opposed to the Iran war; however, reports have surfaced about his views on the conflict as Trump has shifted his messaging to his MAGA coalition about the military strikes.
"I think it's been notable, Rick, that we've seen so little of JD Vance lately," Tur said. "He's got a thing with the president that we might have to dip into at some point during this conversation, but other than that, he has been out of sight."
The last appearance the two apparently made was with the entire Trump administration Cabinet on March 7 at Dover Air Force Base, during the dignified transfer of six slain U.S. Army service members who were killed in Kuwait.
"I don't believe that's a coincidence, Katy," Wilson said. "I think that is a feature, not a bug, of the Vance position right now. He does come from a part of the party or the part of the MAGA movement that is very anti-interventionist. And they built the 'Peace President' illusion around Trump in 2024. And Vance put the bit in his teeth and ran with it. But now he's got a president who has launched a singularly reckless effort in the Persian Gulf that will end up sending American troops to fight and die in a pointless war. And I think Vance is very uncomfortable right now."
Trump has appeared to favor Rubio as his potential successor, according to reports.
"Marco's been getting a lot of praise," Wilson said. "Vance has been, you know, hiding in the tall grass. What goes on today in this presser with Trump could go either way. He could cut Vance's head off right there in public. And I wouldn't, if I was Vance, you know, act without getting a food taster going forward, if Trump really digs in on this war."
Last week, Vance dodged a direct question about how he viewed the military action in the Middle East. Vance was taking questions from reporters following his speech in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where he campaigned for GOP candidates in a district Republicans were hoping to flip. Associated Press reporter Bill Barrow asked the vice president what advice he gave the president regarding military strikes and the economic fallout, including surging gas prices.
"Did you express any concerns like those you've expressed in the past on the possibility of those extended wars?" Barrow asked.
Vance refused to directly say whether he supports the joint U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.
"We're in the Situation Room, where you can't even take your iPod in there, or your AirPods, I guess what they're called, you can't take your iPhone in there, you can't take anything in there — because it is the most classified space anywhere in the world," Vance said.
"And I sit there with Pete Hegseth, and Gen. Caine, and Marco Rubio, and the entire White House team, and the president and I, and the entire senior team are talking about the options and about what we need to do and how we must best protect the American people," Vance added.
"I hate to disappoint you, but I'm not going to show up here in front of God and everybody else and tell you exactly what I said in that classified room partially because I don't wanna go to prison and partially because I think it's important for the President of the United States to talk to his advisors without those advisors running their mouth to the American media."
