Vice President Vance Defends Trump's Economic Comments Amid Rising Inflation Concerns
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During an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Fetterman referenced a comment Trump made on Tuesday, when he said, “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation” as a motivating factor for him to make a deal with Iran and end the conflict. Fetterman pointed to the rest of Trump’s statement, in which the president said his only focus in making a deal is cutting off Iran’s capacity to create nuclear bombs. Trump’s team has said he made the decision to attack Iran after the country told the U.S. that it had enough enriched uranium to make 11 nuclear bombs within 10 days.
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New York TimesTrump’s Remark on Americans’ Finances and Iran War Points to GOP Midterm Challenges “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation,” he said of his calculations on the Iran war.
The Guardian USDonald Trump has said preventing Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon is “the only thing that matters” as the US midterm election campaign season looks to be defined by mounting economic concerns sparked by the conflict.
ABC NewsTrump said Tuesday that wasn't a concern in making a deal with Iran. Vice President JD Vance admitted Wednesday that the Trump administration has a "lot of work to do" on the economy, a day after President Donald Trump drew fire for saying he was not motivated by "Americans' financial situation" to make a deal to end the war with Iran.
The HillTrump trips on affordability with remark on Iran, to GOP’s chagrin A comment from President Trump dismissing the pocketbook concerns of millions of Americans is threatening to upend his party’s midterm messaging on affordability. Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he does “not even a little bit” think about Americans’ financial situation when dealing with Iran, saying he only thinks about not letting Tehran have a…
USA TodayFetterman remains staunchly supportive of war against Iran Fetterman has repeatedly broken with his party in their efforts to restrict Trump's attacks in Iran and has frequently said that the Trump administration's attacks on Iran were warranted to stop the development of a nuclear weapon and to destroy the country's theocratic regime, the Inquirer reported.
HuffPostHe also noted that 77% said Trump himself increased that cost with his policies, and 75% said the Iran war has negatively impacted their finances. Trump’s war led Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes.
The Daily WireIn a podcast interview with libertarian journalist Nick Gillespie, Fetterman defended the Trump administration’s military campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Asked whether he trusts war assessments from President Donald Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, the swing-state Democrat did not budge.
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Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) have also been forced to rise to Trump’s defense after the president made the comment during a press gaggle at the White House earlier this week.
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ABC NewsVance suggested that Trump's comments were mischaracterized. "Well, I don't think the president said that," he said. "I think that's a misrepresentation of what the president said."
NBC NewsUP NEXT Vance: Trump answer on Americans’ finances a ‘misrepresentation’ 00:40
USA Today"I think that's a misrepresentation of what the president said," Vance told reporters on May 13 in response to a reporter's question during a White House event announcing an anti-fraud initiative.
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"But of course the president, and I, and the entire team, we care about the American peoples' financial situations," Vance said. "We care about how the American people are doing economically."
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ABC News"My message to Americans is we know that we have a lot of work to do in order to deliver on the prosperity that the American people deserve. The president is hyperaware of this. I'm hyperaware of this. We talk about it all the time," Vance said.
Washington ExaminerThe vice president was asked about the politics at the White House on Wednesday. Vance said that the administration knows “that we have a lot of work to do in order to deliver on the prosperity that the American people deserve.”
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Vance also said he agreed with Trump that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon.
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USA TodayPlaying clean-up on remarks that Democrats quickly seized on, Vance said he agrees with Trump that Iran shouldn't have a nuclear weapon and called preventing the spread of nuclear weapons "probably the most important thing" the administration can do to keep Americans safe.
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Vance's comments come after Tuesday's inflation report, which shows inflation at its highest level since May 2023. Although Vance said the administration has a lot of work to do on the economy, he continued to place blame on the Biden administration.
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USA Today"Yes, the inflation number last month was not great," Vance said, but he added it's not at the level it was under former President Joe Biden. "We're not seeing anything like what we saw under the Biden administration."
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Most Americans associate issues surrounding the economy with Trump, with a recent CNN poll finding that 70% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy.
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USA TodayTrump has increasingly expressed frustrations when addressing rising prices at the gas pump, which pose a major political challenge for the president and Republicans during the 2026 midterm elections. A CNN poll released May 12 found 70% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, the highest mark of his presidency.
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Trump says he doesn't think China 'can help in any way' with IranPete Hegseth says there is a 'plan' to escalate Iran war if necessaryVance or Rubio? See Trump's impromptu 2028 poll at the White House.Trump pressed on hantavirus response and WHO withdrawal
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NBC News00:33 Trump arrives in China for Xi summit 00:35 Will Trump discuss the war with Iran with Xi?
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Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 The Hill Fetterman: Democratic base becoming ‘increasingly anti-American’ Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) on Wednesday accused the Democratic base of becoming “increasingly anti-American” amid calls against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, Iran and Cuba. Reason Magazine’s Nick Gillespie, asked Fetterman on the “Reason Interview” podcast about what the senator thinks of his politics now, having backed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a democratic socialist, in…
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02 Washington Examiner “I mean, he said something that got clipped,” Fetterman said. “But what he really was saying, what he did say, is like, ‘I am really thinking that we can’t ever let Iran build a bomb.’ And I mean that’s exactly, that’s the essence of what that is, and to hold that line. I mean, how could we just walk away and not let that, you know, let that happen.”
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03 USA Today The resolution, which would have directed Trump to remove U.S. armed forces from conflict with Iran, was the first time the Senate has voted to end the war in Iran since the 60-day window set by the War Powers Act ended, The Hill reported.
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04 The Daily Wire 💥NEW: John Fetterman🇺🇸 “100% I trust the Trump administration and Trump a hll of a lot more than I would ever trust the Iranians, Chinese or Russians … We are all Americans.”
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05 The Guardian US President’s remarks come as midterm elections looks to be defined by economic concerns sparked by the conflict. Key US politics stories from Wednesday 13 May at a glance
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06 ABC News The response from the president, who was responding to whether Americans' financial situation was motivating him to make a deal with Iran, drew criticism from Democrats.
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07 NBC News 00:40 Vance: Trump answer on Americans’ finances a ‘misrepresentation’ 00:0000:00
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08 HuffPost CNN host Jake Tapper on Tuesday said things are not going well for President Donald Trump, whose policies are causing Americans to struggle, and argued he is not only failing to read the room but actively acknowledging his indifference “out loud.”
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