Trump scolds reporter as ‘very obnoxious’ over question on Air Force One, blasts ‘most corrupt’ ABC News
President Donald Trump scolded a reporter as “very obnoxious” who attempted to ask about sending troops to the Middle East as part of the war with Iran and blasted ABC News as “corrupt” on Sunday.
Trump was asked during a press gaggle aboard Air Force One if he could explain why thousands of Marines and sailors are being sent to the region. The president appeared to shush the reporter before responding.
“You’re a very obnoxious person,” Trump said before quickly moving on to another reporter.
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The president was earlier asked, reportedly by the same correspondent, about a fundraising email sent by a Trump PAC that featured a photo of him wearing a baseball hat during a recent dignified transfer ceremony of service members who were killed during the war with Iran.
“I was at the dignified transfer, unlike a lot of other people,” Trump said.
The ABC reporter asked if the fundraising email was “appropriate.”
“I do,” Trump said. “I didn’t see it… we have a lot of people working for us. There is nobody that’s better to the military than me. Look at the election results, look at the kind of votes that we get. Look at the poll numbers.”
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Trump, who was returning to Washington, D.C., from a weekend at Mar-a-Lago, then asked the reporter who she was with.
“ABC News,” the reporter answered.
“One of the worst, most fake, most corrupt,” Trump responded. “You know what, ABC News, I think it’s maybe the most corrupt news organization on the planet. I think they’re terrible.”
Trump then declared, “I don’t want any more from ABC News.”
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ABC News did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital‘s request for comment.
Trump also said there was “AI-generated” and “fake” news coming out of Iran.
In 2024, ABC News and its top anchor, George Stephanopoulos, agreed to pay Trump $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit. Trump filed the suit against Stephanopoulos after he asserted that Trump was found “liable for rape” in a civil case during a contentious interview with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.
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During Sunday’s press gaggle, Trump also suggested the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) needs to stand with the U.S. in defense of the Strait of Hormuz or face a “very bad” future.
Trump admin official says there’s a ‘very good chance’ gas prices will be back to normal by summer
Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday that there’s a “very good chance” gas prices will be normal by summer.
“After the conflict is over, you’ll start to see prices come back down, but Iran is immediately going to impede flow through the Straits of Hormuz launching attacks at all of their neighbors. Even those completely uninvolved in this conflict illustrates why it is so important to defang this regime,” Wright told NBC’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press.”
“It’s been the greatest supporter of terrorism in the world and the greatest killer of American soldiers in 20 years has been Iran, and we haven’t fought a conflict against them until this,” Wright said.
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The comments came as the war between the United States and Iran continues to escalate, with the Trump administration signaling the conflict may last longer than initially anticipated.
While U.S. military forces’ involvement in Operation Epic Fury is underway, oil markets have been shaken.
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Americans could face higher gas prices after the Iranian regime threatened to attack vessels that cross the Strait of Hormuz, where about 20% of the world’s daily oil supply passes through.
Wright added, “It’s just this president did not want to kick this can down the road to the next administration. The world simply can’t see a nuclear-armed Iran, and so I’m proud of his actions, but yes, it is a short-term disruption of the flow of energy.”
“Americans are feeling it right now. Americans will feel it for a few more weeks, but in the end, we will have removed the greatest risk to global energy supplies. We’ll go to a world more abundant in energy, more affordable in energy and less risky for American soldiers and commerce in the Middle East,” Wright said.
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“Are you confident the gas will be back under $3 by the busy summer travel season, Mr. Secretary?” Welker asked Wright.
“There’s a very good chance that will be true. You know, there’s no guarantees in war. The timeframe is still not entirely clear, but I think that’s certainly a goal of the administration and very possible,” Wright said.
According to AAA, the national average for gas prices is currently $3.71 per gallon.
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The White House did not respond for comment from Fox News Digital.
Americans know Iran is our enemy. It’s time establishment politicians agreed
For more than four decades, the Iranian regime has operated as the world’s most dangerous state sponsor of terrorism, funding proxy militias, targeting U.S. forces and destabilizing entire regions. Yet establishment Washington has long treated Tehran as a diplomatic puzzle waiting to be solved rather than a hostile regime executing a deliberate strategy — one that openly chants “Death to America.”
That disconnect is glaring in a new Fox News poll that confirms what history has already shown: 61% of Americans say Iran poses a real national security threat to the United States. The remarkable part is not the poll result, but how long Washington’s foreign policy establishment has taken to catch up with what voters already understand.
Americans have watched Iran fund Hezbollah, Hamas and other terrorist groups across the Middle East. Iranian-backed militias have launched hundreds of attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, killing and injuring hundreds of American service members. Tehran has consistently threatened the Strait of Hormuz, a choke point carrying almost 20% of the world’s oil supply. The pattern is glaring from Lebanon to Yemen that Iran wages proxy warfare and sponsors terrorism that directly threatens U.S. interests and global stability.
After more than 40 years of the same behavior, voters are hawkish on Iran — not out of ideology, but experience. Tehran funds terrorism, targets U.S. forces and threatens global energy markets. The conclusion is simple: this regime responds to strength, not further diplomatic engagement.
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However, much of Washington still approaches Iran as a negotiating partner. For decades the strategy has been the same: diplomatic frameworks, sanctions relief and meetings to moderate Tehran’s behavior, even pallets of cash. However, a regime built on proxy warfare and regional destabilization is unlikely to abandon that strategy through negotiations alone. That reality helps explain why the United States is confronting the same Iranian threat today that it faced 40 years ago.
The historical record undermines the diplomatic theory. As negotiations dragged on, Iran expanded its proxy networks and led 160 attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, just from October 2023 to February 2024. While policymakers debated strategy in Washington and Europe, Tehran continued building missiles and expanding militias to pressure the United States and its allies.
This is why the Fox News poll is more than a snapshot of voter sentiment. It exposes a deeper divide in American foreign policy, thinking it is not Republican versus Democrat, but voters versus the foreign policy establishment. Americans have formed their own conclusions after decades of watching Iran use intimidation, violence and proxy militant groups to destabilize entire regions.
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The regime has repeatedly tested American resolve through asymmetric threats designed to create pressure without triggering full-scale war. This consistent pattern makes clear that Iran’s strategy is confrontation, not regular geopolitical rivalry. That reality explains why public opinion is significantly hawkish rather than supportive of more negotiations. For many Americans, the lesson of the past 40+ years is straightforward: Iran responds far less to engagement than it does to credible deterrence.
Deterrence, in this context, is about credibility. History shows aggressors are far less likely to escalate when they believe aggression will bring immediate and severe consequences. For decades, Iran has operated in the gray zone — using proxy militias, cyber operations and maritime disruption to pressure the United States while avoiding direct confrontation. That strategy has worked, allowing Tehran to expand missile capabilities and its terror network while America’s responses appeared inconsistent.
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Washington’s foreign policy establishment often overlooks that voters want results rather than another cycle of policy debates built on theory. That disconnect is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain because foreign policy must eventually align with the public’s understanding of national security threats.
The gap in perspective is now producing an equally glaring political divide. When voters believe that policymakers are unwilling to confront direct threats to Americans, trust in leadership erodes. National security debates look detached from reality while Americans face the consequences from attacks on U.S. forces, rising energy costs, and proxy conflicts spreading across the Middle East.
However, much of Washington still approaches Iran as a negotiating partner. For decades the strategy has been the same: diplomatic frameworks, sanctions relief and meetings to moderate Tehran’s behavior, even pallets of cash.
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While the American response has often been inconsistent, Iran has maintained a clear geopolitical strategy: funding terrorist networks, arming proxy militias, threatening strategic shipping routes and exploiting regional instability to expand its influence.
After decades of terrorism, proxy warfare and regional destabilization, Americans no longer see Iran as a diplomatic puzzle waiting for another round of ineffective negotiations. They see a strategic threat that requires credible deterrence. The poll confirms that voters have already reached that conclusion. The real question now is whether Washington’s foreign policy establishment is willing to acknowledge the same reality.
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Iranian foreign minister claims Trump launched war ‘because it is fun’
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi claimed on Sunday, on “Face the Nation,” that President Donald Trump launched attacks against Iran “because it is fun,” accusing the United States of starting what he called an “illegal war” during an interview with CBS host Margaret Brennan.
“We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes,” Aragchi said. “There are people being killed only because President Trump wants to have fun… they are sinking ships and targeting different places because it is fun.”
The comments came as the war between the United States and Iran continues to escalate, with the Trump administration signaling the conflict could continue longer than initially anticipated.
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Trump told Fox News Radio that he will ultimately know when the conflict is nearing its end, saying he’ll recognize that moment “when I feel it in my bones.”
The White House did not respond for comment from Fox News Digital.
During the CBS interview, Brennan pressed the foreign minister about Iranian drone and missile attacks across the Gulf region and their impact on neighboring countries that host U.S. military forces.
Aragchi defended Iran’s actions, claiming Tehran is targeting only American military assets that host U.S. military forces.
“We are only targeting American assets, American installations, American military bases,” Aragchi said. “They are using their soil to attack us… they use the territory of UAE to attack us.”
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Brennan challenged him, noting reports that Iranian drones and missiles have struck civilian areas in neighboring countries. Aragchi denied that civilians were being targeted.
The foreign minister also addressed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway by which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes through. Aragchi said Iran has not formally closed the strait but acknowledged that some vessels have avoided the route because of security concerns tied to the conflict.
He also discussed Iran’s nuclear program, referencing roughly 440 kilograms of enriched uranium previously documented by international inspectors. He said the material is currently buried under rubble following strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
“They are under rubble,” Aragchi said, “Of course, you know there is the possibility to retrieve them, but under the supervision of the agency.”
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The foreign minister also acknowledged that Tehran previously offered to dilute its stockpile.
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Pope Leo urges war leaders to halt fighting after deadly strike on school sparks outrage
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in the war involving Iran, delivering his strongest remarks yet on the conflict and urging leaders responsible for the fighting to halt violence after deadly strikes that hit schools and civilian areas.
The Associated Press reported the pope made the remarks at the end of his Sunday noon blessing at the Vatican, where he appealed to leaders involved in the conflict to halt the fighting and pursue dialogue instead of continued military escalation.
“On behalf of the Christians of the Middle East and all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict,” Leo said. “Cease fire so that avenues for dialogue may be reopened. Violence can never lead to the justice, stability, and peace that the people are waiting for.”
Leo did not cite the U.S. or Israel by name, though he appeared to reference an attack in the opening days of the war that struck a school in Iran and killed more than 165 people, many of them children.
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U.S. officials said the strike may have been based on outdated intelligence, and an investigation into the incident is underway.
The pope said he was particularly close to the families of victims killed in attacks that have struck schools, hospitals and residential areas during the conflict.
He also expressed concern about the impact of the fighting in Lebanon, where aid groups have warned the escalating conflict could trigger a humanitarian crisis.
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Christian communities in southern Lebanon are of particular concern to the Vatican, as they have long been seen as an important presence for Christians across a largely Muslim region.
For much of the two weeks since the conflict began, Leo has limited his public comments to broader appeals for peace and dialogue while avoiding direct references to the U.S. or Israel – a stance consistent with the Vatican’s longstanding tradition of diplomatic neutrality.
Some Catholic leaders, however, have taken a more direct stance on the conflict.
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Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, described the war as morally unjustifiable, while Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich criticized the White House for sharing social media posts about the war that included video game-style imagery.
Meanwhile, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin rejected Washington’s characterization of the fighting as a “preventive war,” but said the Holy See continues to keep lines of communication open with all sides.
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“The Holy See speaks with everyone,” Parolin said. “When necessary we speak also with the Americans, with the Israelis and show them what to us are the solutions.”
Iran arrests dozens accused of spying for Israel in new internal crackdown
Iranian authorities say they have arrested dozens of people accused of spying for Israel across several provinces, according to state media reports over the weekend.
Fars, a news agency affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported Sunday the West Azerbaijan prosecutor’s office had arrested 20 individuals in the northwestern city of Urmia for allegedly providing Israel with information about military, police and security sites.
On Saturday, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence said it had arrested several “enemy operatives” across the country, including a 10-member group in Mazandaran province and another 10-member network in Khorasan Razavi province, according to Tasnim, a semi-official news agency.
Authorities said the suspects transferred the locations of military installations and economic infrastructure and shared coordinates of public places, academic institutions and research centers with Israel.
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In southern Khuzestan province, intelligence officials also reported arresting a three-person “terrorist team” accused of carrying out armed attacks against security forces and government facilities.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Israel has relied on tips from ordinary Iranians to identify targets for strikes inside Iran, citing a senior Israeli security official.
The newspaper said information about potential targets is sent through Israeli Persian-language social media accounts and is verified by Israeli authorities before strikes are carried out.
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In a separate development, Bahraini authorities said Sunday they arrested five people accused of passing sensitive information to the IRGC and helping recruit operatives for potential attacks inside the country.
According to a statement from Bahrain’s Police Media Center, the suspects allegedly collected and transmitted coordinates and images of sensitive locations, including hotels, to the IRGC.
IRANIAN REGIME SPREADING ANTI-ISRAEL PROPAGANDA ACROSS DOZENS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS: REPORT
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Officials said one suspect previously received training at IRGC camps in “trafficking persons and recruiting operatives to participate in implementing terrorist plots.”
The five detainees were referred to Bahrain’s Public Prosecution, while a sixth suspect identified in the case is believed to be a fugitive abroad.
US could take Iran’s main oil export hub ‘at a time of our choosing,’ Jack Keane says
Retired four-star Army Gen. Jack Keane said the United States could choose to seize Iran’s main oil export hub, warning the regime that its most critical economic lifeline remains vulnerable as U.S. forces continue dismantling Tehran’s military capabilities.
“We can take Kharg Island at a time of our choosing, and we choose not to take that now,” Keane told “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“Would we take it in the future? Those options are there for the president, likely towards the end of this? Because, if we take Kharg Island, either we occupy it or blockade it, there’s a number of things that we can do.”
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Keane said such a move would effectively put the Iranian regime in “checkmate,” given how heavily its economy depends on the island.
“Now we [would] own all of their major assets. It’s 50% of their budget, 60% of the revenue, 80, 90% of the distribution points for their oil,” he said.
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“So it is clearly a strategic asset, but we will do that at a time of our choosing.”
Keane’s remarks come as the U.S. and Israel continue their military campaign against Iran, targeting the regime’s offensive capabilities and threatening further action against its energy infrastructure.
The remarks also come after President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. had carried out a bombing raid on the island.
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“Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The island has a loading capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, and roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports pass through it. Most of those exports are shipped to China and India, underscoring the island’s importance not only to Iran’s energy trade, but also to broader global oil markets.