President Donald Trump touted the success of his own policies and complained about the “fake news” on Truth Social Saturday, as a desperate search continues for the missing U.S. pilot shot down in Iran.
Trump’s tone on Truth Social Saturday morning ranged from fuming about the media and leveling new threats against Iran, to jauntily celebrating his trade tariffs amid soaring gas prices.
“THANK YOU MR. TARIFF!” he crowed in one post.
While he has been active on his social media platform, the president has kept a relatively low profile since reports of the missing U.S. airman broke on Friday, and the last time he spoke publicly was late Wednesday in an address to the nation about the war.
“Not only were the jobs numbers GREAT yesterday, 178,000 new jobs, but the TRADE DEFICIT was down 55%, the biggest drop in history. THANK YOU MR. TARIFF!” Trump celebrated in one of the posts. “All of this and, simultaneously, getting rid of a Nuclear Iran. MAGA!!!” he added.
Trump’s first post of the day was directed at The New York Times, where he gloated about an error in a headline the day prior that misstated the full name of NATO — which stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization — as “the North American Treaty Organization.”
“The Failing New York Times, whose lack of credibility, and their constant Fake News attacks on your favorite President, ME, has caused its circulation to absolutely PLUMMET, referred to our severely weakened and extremely unreliable “partner,” NATO, as the North American Treaty Organization,” Trump said, calling it “a very interesting mistake.”
His slew of Truth Social posts comes as the U.S. is in a race against time to find the pilot of the F-15 before the Iranians do.
The president did not address the missing pilot directly in any of his Truth Social posts Saturday morning, but warned Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face the consequences.
“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out - 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them,” Trump said, appearing to confuse the use of “rain” with “reign.”
Energy experts warned that any escalations will likely continue to push gas prices up.
“More escalations like this likely mean oil prices continue heading higher when markets open tomorrow night,” GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan reacted to Trump’s warning on X. “We’re going to see a dozen states and more push higher gas prices down around mid-day Monday, especially in price cycling states. Be prepared.”
Trump told The Independent that he is not yet ready to say what the U.S. will do if Iranian forces get to the downed airman first. “We hope that’s not going to happen,” the president said in a brief phone call Friday.
The downed F-15 is the fourth American fighter aircraft — and the sixth military plane — lost since Trump started the massive air campaign against Tehran on February 28. Three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle jets were downed by friendly fire over Kuwait in March.
An A-10 attack plane was reportedly hit in the Persian Gulf region, and the pilot was rescued after making it to Kuwaiti airspace, officials said.
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