‘Pretty Close’: Trump Economic Adviser Defends Trump’s Timeline on Iran War

Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett told CNBC Monday that the financial markets were surging because President Donald Trump’s Truth Social posts are keeping the American people thoroughly apprised on the Iran war.

Squawk Box host Joe Kernen began the interview by saying, “Earlier we had a discussion, Kevin, about all the new highs last week and and the V-shaped bottom put in on this latest conflict. When it started, we noted that in previous conflicts like this, geopolitical conflicts, it usually is very short lived and usually a pretty good buying opportunity. But again, history never repeats, it always rhymes.”

Kernen continued, “And for some reason, because of the Strait, the issue of the Strait, because of oil prices and what could happen with inflation and what that would do to the Fed, we thought, ‘No, it’s not going to happen,’ but darned if it didn’t happen again to new highs. In the face of all this uncertainty, what do you attribute that to?”

“I think that what’s been happening more than anything else is that President Trump has been communicating with the American people on, like, what the current state of things is, and he’s been talking about how negotiations are moving forward well,” Hassett said, continuing:

He “Truthed” over the weekend that their talks are resuming. Now, there are a lot of people chattering in Iran that aren’t necessarily in power, who are trying to perhaps undermine their own colleagues. But the fact is that President Trump’s Truths — you go back, look, one after another — have given a very clear guide to the journalists in the country and American people about the progress that we’re making. At the beginning, the president said “In four to six weeks, we expect this could be resolved.” And I think we’re getting pretty close to that being accurate.

The war with Iran began on February 28, and is currently in its eighth week.

Vice President JD Vance is expected to leave imminently for the second round of peace talks in Pakistan, in the wake of a U.S. destroyer firing on and seizing an Iranian tanker on Sunday. Iran has vowed retaliation, and the nation’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said Iran has “no plans” to participate in the talks.

Watch the clip above via CNBC.

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