‘This War Has Been Won’: Trump Says The Media Is Keeping Conflict Going

 

President Donald Trump took questions in the Oval Office on Tuesday, ahead of the swearing-in of Markwayne Mullin as his Secretary of Homeland Security.

Trump was asked several questions about the ongoing conflict with Iran and at one point declared the war “won,” but wildly claimed it was the media that is keeping it going.

“So, President Trump, on a human level, how hopeful are you that this peace deal will work out? Like, as a human, as… On a human level, not as the President of the United States. How hopeful are you that this peace deal will work out with Iran?” asked an off-camera reporter.

“You’re talking about to end it? Well, I think we’re going to end it. I can’t tell you for sure. You know, I don’t like to say this. We’ve won this. This war has been won. The only one that likes to keep it going is the fake news,” Trump replied.

Notably, just an hour or so earlier, reports broke that Trump ordered an additional 3,000 U.S. troops deployed to the region as the Pentagon weighs a ground invasion.

“I mean, the New York Times — you read the New York Times. It’s like we’re not winning a war where they have no Navy and they have no Air Force and they have no nothing. And we literally have planes flying over Tehran and other parts of their country,” Trump continued, adding:

They can’t do a thing about it. For instance, if I want to take down that power plant, that very big, powerful power plant — they can’t do a thing about it. It’s like, “Take me.” That’s all they can do. And yet, if you read the New York Times or if you watch ABC fake news or NBC fake news, you’d say it’s a close battle. It’s not close at all — they’re totally defeated. You know, we killed their Navy, and would you say three days, Pete?

In fact, I was a little upset with Pete. I said, why didn’t you save the ships? We could have used them, right? He said it’s more fun shooting them down. But the Navy was wiped out in a very rapid order. Pretty impressive for you guys — you champion wrestlers — right, when you hear this stuff. But if you read the news, you don’t hear this. You read like, oh, they’re doing wonderfully. They’re doing terribly. They’re wiped out militarily. They are dead.

Watch the clip above via Fox News.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!

Tags:

Alex Griffing is a Senior Editor at Mediaite. Send tips via email: alexanderg@mediaite.com. Follow him on Twitter: @alexgriffing