Our most recent book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. The second Trump administration is has been full of ominous developments. In 2024, Trump was already showing signs of cognitive decline. It's getting worse.
Well, let's shift to Iran because a lot's going on over there. You initially said that the war would take about six to eight weeks. We're now entering the seventh month. Can you just explain, like, why is it taking so long?
Only because I wanted to go further. I took them out. I could have stopped then, but I wanted to go further. I didn't want them—because I met my timeline. If you look at what I did when we bombed the sites with a b2 bomber. Like we bombed those sites, and I call it nuclear dust—was under 1000s of tons of rubble. I could have stopped there, and I felt it was just inappropriate because—and they were itching to go on with their lives, if not there, someplace else. And so I went further. They're doing very poorly. Their economy is gone. Their inflation is at 300% or something like that. Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Everything's gone, and they want to make a deal, but I want to make the real deal. But when I said I was going to be there for a short period of time, I was, and then I decided I wanted to go further than that because I didn't want to have them come back in some different form.
Do you think the American people misunderstood that? I feel like most people heard you say four to six weeks. [Fact check: true]
No, I think the press fed it to them, so that—look, we were in Vietnam for 21, 20, years. We were in Afghanistan for many years. We were in Korea for many. We're everywhere for many years. I'm in there now for six months, and I've destroyed their nuclear capability. I've destroyed their navy, 159 ships are at the bottom of the sea. I've destroyed their air force. All their planes are gone. I've destroyed their radar. That's why you know we have, we had more ships come through last night. We had more barrels of oil come through last night than at any time in the history of the Strait. Last night we set a record.
Well, on that note, were you aware in February that they would likely—they being Tehran—were likely to retaliate by closing the Strait of Hormuz?
There was always a threat they had, and it worked for a little while. But we basically closed it on them. You know, they said we're going to close. I said, "Well, you close it, you're going to have big trouble." We took it over. You have to see the coastline. Everything is obliterated. They don't have radar. They don't have any anti-aircraft capability. Nothing. I have The New York Times saying how well they're doing, and it's so crazy. Their whole military is gone. Their radar is gone. Their leaders are gone. You know, we went through two levels of leaders, and The New York Times keeps writing about how well they're doing. They have no money. They have no value of money. They have nothing going, and just fake news, fake news, and maybe they’ll be next.
Last week, you said you might annihilate Iran. That was the word you used.
Yeah, I would do that. It's possible.
You've made versions of that threat before. You've also called yourself the president of peace.
Yeah.
How can the president of peace be calling for the annihilation of an entire people?
Because by annihilating Iran, we've created peace in the world. With Iran, I don't think you could ever have peace.