GOP Senators Struggle to Respond After Trump Admits He Doesn’t Consider Americans' Financial Struggles

Republican senators scrambled to justify or ignore President Donald Trump’s blunt admission on Tuesday that he does not consider the financial struggles of American citizens when making decisions.

Senators React to Trump’s Comments

Journalist Pablo Manríquez asked multiple GOP senators about Trump’s remarks roughly 90 minutes after they were made, giving lawmakers ample time to respond.

When asked, Senator Cynthia Lummis laughed and replied,

"Did he say that? I don’t have a comment about that, mostly because I think he actually does care."

She claimed Trump did not mean what he later reinforced publicly.

Other Senators Avoid Direct Responses

Senator Roger Marshall also declined to comment, citing a lack of "context" around Trump’s statement. Meanwhile, Senator Susan Collins said she had not seen the president’s remarks at all.

Trump’s comments were made during a press exchange before he departed for China on Tuesday. The president was asked about the impact of skyrocketing inflation, driven by the fallout from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and Lebanon, on his negotiations with Iran.

Trump’s Full Response

The president’s remarks were unequivocal:

"When you’re negotiating with Iran, Mr. President, to what extent are Americans’ financial situations motivating you to make a deal?" a reporter asked.

"Not even a little bit," Trump replied. "The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran is they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation, I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all. That’s the only thing that motivates me."