The man who promised to fight for invisible Americans by lowering prices and ending endless wars is doing neither and remained adamant that he was still on the right path when asked about it on Tuesday.
During a conversation with reporters on Tuesday, before leaving for China, Trump was asked to what extent Americans' economic problems and rising inflation linked to the conflict between the United States, Israel, Iran and Lebanon motivate him to seek a deal with Tehran.
"Not at all", Trump replied. "The only thing that matters when I talk about Iran is that they can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about the financial situation of Americans, I don't think about anyone. I think about one thing: We can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That's all. That's the only thing that motivates me."
Later, ABC News' Karen Travers asked for clarification on whether the president was actually not considering the economic consequences for Americans. Trump reiterated his position.
"The most important thing, including whether our stock market... goes up or down a little bit - the most important thing is that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," he repeated.
When asked about the pressure on households due to high food prices and the cost of living, Trump said he thought Americans understood the risk of an Iranian nuclear program.
"Every American understands... They just did a poll, about 85 percent... understand that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. If Iran has a nuclear weapon, the whole world would be in trouble. Because they are crazy," he said. The president added that after the crisis, he expects a sharp drop in oil prices and a strong rise in stock markets.
His remarks provoked a sharp reaction among political commentators and representatives of the Democratic Party.
Podcaster Tommy Vietor wrote that Trump's words will be used against Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. Tim Miller of The Bulwark commented that the situation would be absurd if "the order after World War II and our entire democracy" were not at stake. Congressman Adriano Espaillat said that Trump has shown that he "doesn't care that Americans can't afford to live."
As of May 12, most polls show that a majority of Americans oppose a war with Iran.