President Trump doesn’t consider economic concerns in Iran talks
President Donald Trump told reporters that the economic situation of Americans is not factored into his decisions regarding Iran.
WASHINGTON — Vice President J.D. Vance sought to dispel President Donald Trump’s recent comments that he did not consider the economic hardships of Americans when negotiating a deal to end the Iran war.
“I think this is a misinterpretation of what the president said,” Vance told reporters in response to a question from reporters at a White House event announcing anti-fraud initiatives on May 13.
On May 12, before leaving for a multi-day trip to China, President Trump told reporters, “I don’t think so at all,” in response to a question about the extent to which Americans’ financial situation due to soaring gasoline prices was a motivator for reaching a deal to end the war with Iran.
“I’m not thinking about the economic situation of the American people. I’m not thinking about anyone else. I’m thinking about one thing: We can’t let Iran have nuclear weapons. That’s it,” the president said.
Vance backed off on remarks that Democrats were quick to capitalize on, saying he agreed with Trump that Iran should not have nuclear weapons and that preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons is “probably the most important thing” the administration can do to keep Americans safe.
“But of course the president and I and the entire team care about the economic health of the American people,” Vance said. “We care about how Americans are doing economically.”
The consumer price index rose 3.8% in April, the largest increase in inflation in three years, due to higher oil prices stemming from the Iran war.
President Trump has expressed increasing frustration in dealing with rising gas prices, which have become a major political challenge for the president and the Republican Party in the 2026 midterm elections. A CNN poll released on May 12 found that 70% of Americans disapprove of President Trump’s handling of economic policy, the highest point of his presidency.
President Trump countered concerns by claiming that oil prices are not as high as expected, but predicted that prices would “fall like a rock” once the Iran war ends. President Trump also supported asking Congress to suspend the 18.4% federal gasoline tax to ease pump prices. But rallying enough Democratic and Republican supporters to pass the nation’s first federal gasoline tax holiday may be a tall order.
“We know there is much work to do to deliver the prosperity Americans deserve,” Vance said. “The president is fully aware of this, and I am fully aware of this.
“Inflation certainly wasn’t that great last month,” Vance said, but added that it’s not at the levels seen under former President Joe Biden. “We are not seeing anything like what we saw under the Biden administration.”
X Contact Joey Garrison at @joeygarrison. X Contact Francesca Chambers at @fran_chambers.
