US President Donald Trump has claimed that a former American president privately told him he wished he had ordered military strikes on Iran. However, representatives of all four living former presidents have denied any such conversation, according to reports by The New York Times and NBC News.
The conflicting accounts have raised questions about the accuracy of Trump’s remarks and the identity of the leader he was referring to.
What Trump claimed
Trump made the claim during a lunch with Kennedy Center board members and later repeated it at the White House.
“I’ve spoken to a certain president — who I like, actually. A past president, former president, he said: ‘I wish I did it. I wish I did.’ But they didn’t do it. I’m doing it. Yeah?” Trump said.
He reiterated the statement in the Oval Office, saying, “I spoke to one of the former presidents who I actually like. I actually speak to some… And he said, ‘I wish I did what you did.’”
When pressed by reporters to identify the individual, Trump declined to name him.
“I don’t want to say because a member of a party, a member of a party, they have Trump derangement syndrome, but it’s somebody that happens to like me, and I like that person, who’s a smart person, but that person said, ‘I wish I did it.’ OK, but I don’t want to get into who. I don’t want to get him into trouble,” he said.
Trump added, “You know, it’s interesting. And maybe he’d be proud. And I could even ask him that: ‘Would you like me to reveal your name?’”
He did, however, clarify that it was not former president George W Bush. When asked if it was Bill Clinton, he replied, “I don’t want to say.”
Former presidents deny any conversation
Despite Trump’s assertions, aides and representatives for all four living former US presidents have rejected the claim.
According to NBC News, a spokesperson for George W Bush said “they haven’t been in touch.”
A representative for Bill Clinton also denied any such conversation, with Clinton himself later stating he had not spoken to Trump on the matter.
An aide to Barack Obama confirmed that there had been “no recent conversations” between the two.
Similarly, a source familiar with the situation said the unnamed individual Trump referred to was not Joe Biden.
These denials, reported by The New York Times and NBC News, leave Trump’s claim unverified.
Identity remains unclear
Trump’s refusal to name the former president has added to the uncertainty.
While he ruled out George W Bush and declined to confirm whether it was Bill Clinton, the denials from all four former presidents suggest that none of them had any recent discussion with Trump about striking Iran.
Without independent confirmation, the identity of the individual Trump referred to remains unclear.
White House yet to respond
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the denials, according to reports.
The episode comes amid heightened scrutiny of Trump’s statements on the Iran conflict, as questions continue to be raised about his claims, messaging and the broader narrative surrounding the war.
For now, Trump’s assertion that a former president privately endorsed his decision remains unsubstantiated.
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