Donald Trump is pushing back against growing criticism over the U.S. war with Iran—insisting he acted alone and wasn’t pressured by Israel, despite mounting claims to the contrary.
In a chest-thumping post on Truth Social Monday, Trump declared that the war was entirely his call, rejecting the idea that Israel played any role in his decision to launch the conflict.
“Israel never talked me into the war with Iran,” Trump wrote, pointing instead to the fallout from the October 7 attacks and his long-held stance that Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons.
He also lashed out—again—at what he calls “fake news,” accusing pundits and pollsters of lying and even reviving his baseless claims about the 2020 election being “rigged.”
“I watch and read the FAKE NEWS Pundits and Polls in total disbelief. 90% of what they say are lies and made up stories, and the polls are rigged, much as the 2020 Presidential Election was rigged. Just like the results in Venezuela, which the media doesn’t like talking about, the results in Iran will be amazing,” Trump wrote.
But that narrative is facing pushback.
Joe Kent, who resigned from the administration earlier this year, directly accused Israel of influencing Trump’s decision in his resignation letter—arguing the U.S. had been pulled into a conflict that wasn’t entirely its own.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris echoed that criticism over the weekend, saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had effectively “pulled” Trump into the war.
Netanyahu, notably, has long advocated for aggressive action against Iran, dating back decades.
Trump, however, is clearly trying to own the decision—whether to project strength, deflect blame, or both—as questions swirl over how the U.S. ended up in yet another high-stakes conflict in the Middle East.
