Reporter Straight-Up Asks Trump Spox Karoline Leavitt If ‘Assassination’ Is on the Table After Strikes
A reporter straight-up asked Trump White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on the White House driveway whether assassinating Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is on the table during a Monday morning gaggle.
The world was stunned Saturday night when President Donald Trump announced a series of U.S. airstrikes on nuclear sites in Iran. The strikes touched off waves of criticism and approval, as well as objections from both sides of the aisle in Congress.
Trump also raised eyebrows with a post referencing “regime change” even as his officials tried to assure the public that overthrow is not the goal of this mission.
Leavitt spoke briefly with reporters on her way up the White House driveway to the West Wing Monday morning, during which Trump’s post was a main topic. One reporter asked if Trump would support the assassination of Khamenei:
REPORTER: Karoline. When the president is floating the idea of regime change, how does he believe that should be accomplished through the Iranians, the Israelis, or the Americans?
TRUMP PRESS SECRETARY KAROLINE LEAVITT: The president’s posture and our military posture has not changed. The president was just simply raising a question that I think many people around the world are asking. If the Iranian regime refuses to give up their nuclear program or engage in talks —.
We just took out their nuclear programs on Saturday night, as you all know. But if they refuse to engage in diplomacy moving forward, why shouldn’t the Iranian people rise up against this brutal terrorist regime?
That’s a question the president raised last night. But as far as our military postures, it hasn’t changed.
REPORTER: What kind of timetable has the President given Iran right now to come to the negotiating table?
TRUMP PRESS SECRETARY KAROLINE LEAVITT: He has made his message to Iran quite clear.
REPORTER: On regime change, that question of– if the president was supporting that idea of having Iran’s supreme leader assassinated, he’s now floating his idea of regime change. Is that an idea that he would consider?
TRUMP PRESS SECRETARY KAROLINE LEAVITT: I’m not going to get ahead of the president. I just explained his Truth to you last night. Karoline, has there been any communications at all between the US officials and the Iranians since these strikes, and is there any indication that they are open to negotiations?
The Secretary of Defense said yesterday there has been both public and private messages sent to the Iranians since the very successful operation on Saturday night, and that remains the truth.
REPORTER: If Iran shuts down the Strait of Hormuz, is there a plan by the U.S. To add oil to the global market? We saw the Biden administration do a strategic petroleum release. Is there a Plan?
TRUMP PRESS SECRETARY KAROLINE LEAVITT: I can assure you, the administration is actively and closely monitoring the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Iranian regime would be foolish to make that decision.
Watch above via C-SPAN.
