Trump draws backlash for comment on Iran war: 'Maybe we shouldn't even be there' [View all]

Gee, ya think, you moron? And I seriously doubt he's in a position to 'demand' anything. Delusional.


Trump draws backlash for comment on Iran war: ‘Maybe we shouldn’t even be there’
President made contradictory comment to reporters on Air Force One after pleading with allies to help US secure Strait of Hormuz
Richard Luscombe
Mon 16 Mar 2026 10.28 EDT


Donald Trump drew a backlash on Sunday for suggesting US efforts to protect the Strait of Hormuz were unnecessary – and that “maybe we shouldn’t even be there at all” because his country has plenty of oil of its own.

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“Really, I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory – because it is their territory,” he said.

“They should come and they should help us protect it. You could make the case that maybe we shouldn’t even be there at all, because we don’t need it. We have a lot of oil. We’re the number one producer anywhere in the world times two.”

Trump received criticism in the early stages of the US and Israel’s three-week war in Iran for failing to convey clear reasons for launching military strikes. He has made a number of antithetical statements since, including telling the UK, which he called a “once great ally”, that its help was not needed in Operation Epic Fury.

His comment on Sunday was similarly questioned in an immediate backlash on social media from critics who accused him of starting an unnecessary war – then demanding others step in to help him end it.

more...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/16/trump-backlash-iran-war