Vice President JD Vance stepped in to defend President Donald Trump’s comment suggesting he was not thinking about Americans’ financial struggles while negotiating with Iran.
After Trump’s comment, Vance pushed back against the “misinterpretation” of Trump’s remark. On being asked what he thought about the comment, he said:
“I think that’s a misrepresentation of what the president said. But look, I agree with the president that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon.”
CNN split screen of Trump saying he doesn’t think about Americans’ financial situation and Vance claiming that Trump didn’t say that. pic.twitter.com/7ACtYu9ImE
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 13, 2026
However, he acknowledged that the administration still faced mounting concerns about the economy and that there was a lot of work for them to do. He added:
“My message to Americans is we know that we have a lot of work to do in order to deliver on the prosperity that the American people deserve.”
“The president is hyperaware of this. I’m hyperaware of this. We talk about it all the time.”
Reportedly, when Trump was leaving the White House for a trip to China, a reporter asked him, to what extent are Americans’ financial situations motivating his efforts to reach a deal involving Iran amid rising inflation and soaring gas prices.
Trump immediately responded to it, saying:
“Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran is that they can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
He continued:
“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.”
The remark quickly spread online with many people criticizing the president as he appeared dismissive of Americans struggling with inflation and higher living costs linked to the conflict in Iran.
Trump’s comments have intensified the scrutiny around inflation as a recent report suggested prices are climbing to their highest level in three years. Reportedly, inflation rose 3.8 percent in April 2026.
ABC News White House Correspondent Karen Travers also pressed Trump during Tuesday’s exchange to clarify whether he was considering the economic impact of Iran’s war on Americans. However, Trump maintained his position and said:
“The most important thing, by far, is that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
When asked about inflation affecting Americans, he insisted that “every American understands” his decisions, adding:
“They understand that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. If Iran has a nuclear weapon, the whole world would be in trouble because they happen to be crazy.”
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson also attempted to cover Trump’s remark. He said:
“I don’t know the context in which he made that comment, but I can tell you the president thinks about Americans’ financial situations.”
“I talk to him on average, twice a day, sometimes three or four times a day, and we talk about it constantly.”
