Political Wire

SubscribeSign in
  • Front Page
  • Trending News
  • Polling Dashboard
  • Trial Balloon
  • Membership
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
  • Sign In
  • Contact Us
Theme
Text size

Trump Denied Israel Forced Him Into War

March 3, 2026 · 2:11 pm ET · Leave a Comment

President Trump explicitly rejected the notion that Israel dragged the U.S. into war with Iran, saying that, “if anything, I might’ve forced Israel’s hand,” National Review reports.

Said Trump: “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 — they were going to attack if we didn’t do it. They were going to attack first, I felt strongly about that. We have great negotiators, great people, people that do this very successfully and have done it all their lives very successfully. And based on the way the negotiation was going, I thought that they were going to attack first. And I didn’t want that to happen.”

He added: “So if anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand. But Israel was ready, and we were ready, and we’ve had a very very powerful impact.”

Foreign Affairs

← PreviousTrump Defeated on Congestion PricingNext →Trump Suggests Killing Iran’s Leader Was Personal

Latest on Political Wire

  • 5:16 amIs Jim Jordan Running for GOP Leader?
  • 5:10 amDemocrats Debate How Hard to Hit Big Tech
  • Oct 4Flávio Bolsonaro Surges Past Lula in Brazil
  • Oct 4Buttigieg Goes Big to Help 2026 Dems
  • Oct 4New Attacks Imperil Hormuz Oil Shipments

Front page →

Political Wire is reader-supported. Join for ad-free reading, member posts and new features →

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

More about Taegan Goddard →

Your Account

Members

For the full experience, sign in.

Become a Member

  • Join Political Wire
  • Gift a Membership

Members Only

  • The Battleground Is Getting Much Bigger
  • One Chart That Explains the Midterm Elections
  • Weekly News Quiz
  • Majorities or Mirage?
  • What Does It Take for a Political Party to Implode?

Word of the Day Political Dictionary

Blue State

A “blue state” is one whose voters elect primarily Democratic candidates.

Read the definition →

Yesterday’s Word of the Day: Mission Accomplished Moment

Show me a random term

Think You Know Politics?

  • The Way It Was →
  • Yea or Nay? →
  • Split Decision →
  • Pollster →

Copyright © 2026 · Goddard Media LLC

Political Wire® is a registered trademark of Goddard Media LLC

Also from Goddard Media: Political Dictionary · Political Job Hunt · Electoral Vote Map

Privacy PolicyCorrections PolicyContact