‘Callous and Horrifying’: Trump Slammed For Urgent Call to Evacuate City of 10 Million People With No Explanation
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump sparked a wave of anger on Monday evening when he posted a cryptic message on social media urging the residents of Tehran to evacuate immediately.
“Iran should have signed the “deal” I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” Trump posted to his Truth Social account as news broke that he was leaving the G7 summit in Canada early.
The White House’s official account on X also shared the message, which led to a bevy of speculation as to its meaning – with many pundits and observers questioning if it was a threat of U.S. military action against Iran or simply typical Trump bluster.
Trump was to clarify his meaning on Tuesday morning while aboard Air Force One. “What was the thinking on the call for Tehran to evacuate? Is there a threat or incoming?” asked a journalist.
“No not at all. I want people to be safe. And that’s always possible. A thing like that could happen. I want people to be safe,” Trump replied.
Many critics were quick to point out the size of Tehran and argued that Trump’s message was more likely to put lives in danger by causing panic than to actually help the people on the ground.
Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) shared Trump’s message and replied, “Both of my parents fled Iran so this is personal. Trump’s words are callous and horrifying. Tehran is a massive city of nearly 10 million. Iranian people deserve freedom but Trump’s threat of murdering innocent civilians, a mass casualty event, or another endless war is not the answer.” Tehran is the second largest city in the Middle East with a total population of some 16.8 million people in its metro area.
Independent journalist Yashar Ali shared the post as it came in and wrote, “MY GOD.” He later added, “A White House official tells CNN that President Trump’s message to ‘immediately evacuate Tehran,’ is about the urgency of the need for the Islamic Republic of Iran to come to the negotiating table. There’s no other way to express this urgency than telling a city of over 10 million people, many of whom are frightened, to evacuate immediately?”
The Atlantic’s Tom Nichols added, “Once upon a time, if a US president urged the people of a foreign capital (with whom we are not at war) to evacuate and then POSTED WITH LOTS OF !!!!!!!! in them, we’d be very concerned about the health and stability of that president. Now everyone shrugs and says: well, Trump.”
Below are some additional reactions:
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