President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he “may have gone too far” in the war against Iran, while asserting that U.S. military action had devastated Tehran’s armed forces and eliminated many levels of leadership from the country.
Speaking at his midterm rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, Trump said Iran’s naval, air, radar and anti-aircraft capabilities were “gone” before turning to the impact on his leadership.
Joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28, the opening day of the war, killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several other senior Iranian military and security officials.
“Their first-tier leaders are gone. They’re choosing the second tier. Their second-tier leaders are gone. They’re choosing the third tier,” Trump said, adding: “I probably went a little too far. I’m sorry, because I don’t know who we’re dealing with anymore.”
Trump also said Iranian officials had gotten a promise from him not to target other leaders, saying: “They made me promise not to take any more, and I did it. I promised it.” He then predicted that the ongoing conflict was about to end, telling the crowd: “This is going to end very soon. »
Trump’s remarks on Iran come as the conflict takes an increasing toll on his popularity and the midterm campaign. A Pew Research Center poll released October 8 found that 65 percent of respondents disapprove of his handling of U.S. military action against Iran, while 33 percent approve. Most Americans also expect the conflict to continue for at least six more months, the poll found.
Soaring oil and gasoline prices have amplified the political stakes, putting additional pressure on household budgets as Republicans fight to maintain control of Congress.
Trump says government leakers ‘should be shot’
Trump said people who leak sensitive government information should be severely punished, telling supporters at his Arizona rally on Wednesday that “in my opinion, the leakers should be shot.”
Trump made the comments as he discussed leaks of government information, including the timing of strikes against Iran. “In the old days, we shot at the fugitives, you know? » Trump said.
He then called the escapees “the scum of the earth” and said they should be “treated very, very firmly.”
Trump announces two major economic deals ahead of midterm rally in Arizona
President Trump announced tens of billions of dollars in investments in new energy and semiconductors on Wednesday, seeking to advance his economic agenda just hours before his midterm rally in Arizona and amid continued voter frustration with the cost of living.
Trump said Taiwan had committed to purchasing $70 billion to $80 billion of liquefied natural gas from the Alaska LNG project over 20 years and investing up to $4.4 billion in its development.
Separately, he announced what he described as a $21 billion investment involving semiconductor maker GlobalFoundries to build two new manufacturing facilities in Malta, New York, with capital provided by Japan.
Trump’s ads on Truth Social come as the president faces significant voter discontent over the economy and cost of living. An Associated Press-NORC poll released Wednesday found that only 17% of American adults approved of Trump’s handling of the cost of living. A recent Reuters/Ipsos survey found that about 78% of Americans blame rising prices on Trump administration policies, including tariffs and the conflict with Iran.
That frustration was further reinforced Wednesday morning when the Labor Department announced that inflation accelerated in September. Consumer prices rose 0.6 percent from August and 3.7 percent year-on-year, compared to 3.4 percent in August. Core inflation, which excludes volatility in food and energy prices, rose 0.3 percent on the month and 2.6 percent year-on-year. Gasoline prices jumped 9.1 percent in September and accounted for more than half of the monthly increases.
This report constitutes the last reading of the consumer price index before the midterm elections on November 3.
Trump touts foreign investment and creation of thousands of jobs in the United States
Trump nevertheless presented these investment announcements as proof that his trade policies are generating major projects and jobs in the United States.
Trump said Taiwan’s Alaska LNG commitment represents about 30 percent of the project’s output for the next 20 years. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs has confirmed that state-owned CPC Corp. planned to purchase 6 million tons of LNG per year and could invest up to $4.4 billion in the project. However, the ministry said specific investment terms, equity investments and other conditions remain subject to negotiations and commercial contract procedures.
Reuters said it did not say whether a binding sale and purchase agreement had been signed.
“Specific investment terms, equity participations and associated conditions will be determined through subsequent negotiations and commercial contract procedures,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement.
Trump also said South Korea’s previously announced participation amounted to a $50 billion infrastructure investment, although Seoul previously said its participation in the Alaska project had not been finalized.
The president said GlobalFoundries’ investment would create 27,000 construction and supply chain jobs, as well as more than 1,000 high-skilled manufacturing jobs in New York. The jobs would be linked to two new semiconductor manufacturing plants planned in Malta, north of Albany.
The company plans to break ground on the first factory later this year.
“This is a bold new initiative for semiconductor manufacturing, bringing together the United States and Japan with GF’s differentiated technology and decades of manufacturing expertise to accelerate trusted capacity in New York,” Tim Breen, CEO of GlobalFoundries, said in a statement. “GF was selected because factories of this scale require more than capital. They require differentiated technology, operational excellence and proven execution capability. This combination is what allows GF to make this one-of-a-kind initiative a success.”
Trump called the Alaska LNG development “the BIGGEST project in Alaska’s history,” adding that it “is only happening with me in the White House.” He also hailed the New York investment as a “HUGE OVERALL WIN FOR AMERICA,” while describing himself as a “great businessman president” running “the greatest economy in the world.”
What are at stake for Trump in Arizona and Montana?
Trump’s double westward swing Wednesday highlights the increasingly pressing issues for Republicans as they try to limit losses in the final weeks of the midterm campaign. Arizona is the only presidential battleground among Trump’s recent stops, while Montana offers another test of whether his political influence can help Republicans protect favorable territory.
In Arizona, Trump is throwing his support behind longtime Rep. Andy Biggs, who is trying to unseat Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. Trump won Arizona in 2016 and again in 2024, but lost it in 2020, underscoring the state’s importance as a hotly contested political battleground.
Trump will next travel to Montana’s 1st Congressional District to align with Republican Aaron Flint, a former aide to outgoing Rep. Ryan Zinke. Flint faces Democrat Sam Forstag in a district that leans Republican but is a little less GOP-friendly than Montana as a whole.
The rallies come as Republicans play defense amid tightening midterms, with the party withdrawing resources from some competitive House races and lowering expectations in several Senate runoffs. Trump’s “midterm blitz” aims to energize GOP voters as the party faces the president’s party’s historic trend of losing congressional seats in midterm elections.
Newsweek reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Sam Wilson.
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