WASHINGTON — Democrats in Congress are expressing fury over President Donald Trump appearing to acknowledge the possibility that retaliatory strikes could be directed at the U.S. on its own soil amid its conflict with Iran.
In a post on X, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., quoted Trump’s response of “I guess” when asked if Americans should be worried about retaliatory attacks at home and went on to assert that it shows “We have totally unserious, completely incompetent people taking us into mindless deadly war.”
Trump made the comment in an interview with Time magazine published Thursday before noting that Americans are concerned about the possibility of being targeted “all the time” and adding that he constantly thinks about it and plans for it. The president also delivered a similar message to one he expressed at the start of the conflict regarding American deaths, acknowledging that “some people will die.”
“When you go to war, some people will die,” he told Time.
In her own post, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called Trump’s comments “deranged and dangerous.”
Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly — who has been in a high-profile feud with the Trump administration over a video in which he noted that military members could refuse to carry out illegal orders — also slammed the remark on X. He pointed to that comment on strikes at home, along with Trump noting he had a feeling Iran was going to attack first as part of his reasoning for launching the conflict, to argue the president’s judgment is questionable.
“He has terrible judgment, and Americans have already died because of it,” Kelly wrote in the post. “This is officially TRUMP’S WAR.”
From the beginning of the nearly week-old conflict, Trump’s willingness to acknowledge that Americans would die in the conflict drew criticism from Democrats and surprise from others.
In a video on Truth Social on Sunday, just a day after the U.S. and Israeli strikes that launched the war and hours after the military announced three U.S. service members were killed in the conflict, Trump sent his “immense love and eternal gratitude” to the fallen troops. He then went to say, “Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends.”
“That’s the way it is,” he added, before noting he would do everything possible to stop it.
Six U.S. service members have been killed since the start of the war. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced this week that Trump would travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to attend the dignified transfer of the service members, a solemn and honorary event bestowed upon those returning from a place of operations who have died serving the country.
Trump said the initial projection was for the war to last about four to five weeks, but he has also made clear it will go on longer if he deems necessary.
The president and his top officials have given no indication that an end is near, even as Trump has been praising operations as being ahead of schedule and declaring that “just about everything” in Iran has been knocked out. He has also not ruled out sending U.S. ground troops into the country.
Iran has been responding to the U.S. and Israeli attacks, launching its own strikes targeting American bases in other countries in the Middle East. It has also disrupted global oil.
In an interview with NBC News on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared to argue that the country is not looking to target other countries in the region but made clear it wants to hit back against U.S. assets.
“We have attacked American targets and American bases, American installations, which are unfortunately located in the soils of our neighbors,” he told NBC News.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week appeared to protest how the press was covering the conflict and the focus on the deaths of the service members.
“But when a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it’s front-page news,” Hegseth said. “I get it, the press only wants to make the president look bad, but try for once to report the reality.”
Asked about those comments from the defense chief during a briefing, Leavitt said the media “should accurately report on the success of Operation Epic Fury and the damage it is doing to the rogue Iranian regime that has threatened the lives of every single American in this room.”
Hegseth on Friday posted a long message mourning the loss of the six service members.