Donald Trump used a rare primetime address to talk about almost everything except the war Americans actually wanted to hear about. The president barely mentioned the ongoing Iran conflict during his Thursday night speech, focusing instead on election security claims and domestic policy.
Donald Trump spent very little time on Iran during his speech
President Donald Trump briefly mentioned the ongoing Iran conflict during his primetime address on Thursday, CNN reports. He dedicated most of his speech to election security claims and his domestic policy agenda. Trump spent only a few seconds discussing the war despite escalating military strikes throughout the week.
“We have the strongest and most powerful military by far anywhere in the world,” Trump said from the East Room. “I built it during my first term, and unfortunately, we’re forced to use it now.” He added that the United States is “winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly.”
Those remarks represented the president’s only reference to the conflict during the entire address. The US military launched airstrikes for the sixth consecutive night on Thursday. Trump is now receiving options for expanding military operations in Iran as he weighs next steps.
Americans remain skeptical of the president’s approach to the conflict. A new Washington Post-Ipsos poll reveals that just 29% approve of his handling of the situation. Gas prices and the cost of living have also ticked up at home during the conflict.
Instead of outlining a clear path forward on Iran, Trump focused his speech on alleged election vulnerabilities. He claimed declassified documents reveal that China compromised voter data across 18 states. He also urged Congress to pass his stalled SAVE America Act before November’s midterm elections.
The president cited inflated data claiming 278,000 non-citizens appear on state voter rolls. He announced that DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin will hold a briefing Friday on election security efforts.
