President Donald Trump said on Monday that he believed Iran was trying to slow-walk any potential nuclear deal with the United States because they were “used to dealing with stupid people in this country.”
Trump made the comments during an Oval Office meeting with Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele — whose cooperation has been an essential part of the Trump administration’s efforts to deport alleged dangerous illegal alien gang members affiliated with Tren de Aragua and MS-13.
WATCH:
.@POTUS: "Iran has to get rid of the concept of a nuclear weapon. They cannot have a nuclear weapon… I think they're tapping us along because they were so used to dealing with stupid people in this country." pic.twitter.com/tfMQXo1GGu
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 14, 2025
“Iran wants to deal with us but they don’t know how,” Trump explained. “They really don’t know how. We had a meeting with them on Saturday. We have another meeting scheduled next Saturday — I said that’s a long time. You know, that’s a long time, so I think they might be tapping us along.”
“Iran has to get rid of the concept of a nuclear weapon. They cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump added, turning to Bukele, who was next to him, continuing, “He can’t have a nuclear weapon. We can’t have anybody having nuclear weapons, you know? We can’t have nuclear weapons. And I think they’re tapping us along because they were so used to dealing with stupid people in this country.”
Trump went on to say that Iran had been more or less under control — largely because he had restricted their cash flow — during his first administration.
“I had Iran perfect, you had no attacks, you would have never had October 7th in Israel, the attack by Hamas,” Trump said then, adding, “Because Iran was broke, they were stone-cold broke when I was president, and I don’t want to do — I want them to be a rich, great nation! The only thing is, one thing — simple, it’s really simple — they can’t have a nuclear weapon. And they got to go fast, because they’re fairly close to having one, and they’re not going to have one — and if we have to do something very harsh, we’ll do it. And I’m not doing it for us, I’m doing it for the world. These are radicalized people.”
