With Secretary of State Marco Rubio seated just two places away, President Donald Trump publicly contradicted his top diplomat's explanation for why the US launched strikes against Iran—offering an account that directly undermined the one Rubio had delivered to Congress less than 24 hours earlier. The moment, witnessed by reporters during a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday, exposed the deepening confusion at the heart of the administration's case for war.
When asked whether Israel forced his hand, Trump responded: 'No. I might have forced their hand. You see, we were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they were going to attack first.' It was a direct rebuttal—not only of Israel's alleged role in triggering the conflict, but of the precise framing Rubio had used to justify the intervention to congressional leaders.
