The White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt hosted a press briefing on Wednesday, where she told the reporters that talks between Washington and Tehran are “ongoing.” Speaking of the ongoing war, a reporter told the White House Press Secretary, citing young voters, many of whom voted for Trump the first time around in 2024, hoping for no more wars and lower prices. He then asked Leavitt, with the war and rising gas prices, what President Trump’s message is to those voters.
Leavitt responded, saying, “President Trump is doing this for you. He’s doing this for young people. So we are no longer threatened by a rogue terrorist regime in the Middle East that seeks to kill the brave men and women who serve in our country and the Middle East, many of them young people themselves.”
Q: In my reporting, I speak to young voters, many of whom voted for Trump for the first time in 2024 hoping to have no more wars and lower prices. With the war and gas prices going up, what’s Trump’s message to those voters?
LEAVITT: President Trump is doing this for you. He’s… pic.twitter.com/rV4hGCRvgu
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 25, 2026
Trump warned on Wednesday afternoon that if a peace deal is not made between Washington and Tehran, he will “unleash hell” against Iran. Meanwhile, according to reports, the Pentagon says it will send service members and hardware from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East. This will then bolster the US military presence in the region, while the President considers the use of ground forces in a war that he claims has already been won.
As Iran and Israel continue to trade strikes, the Strait of Hormuz effectively remains closed. However, markets have improved under Trump’s optimism. Oil prices are reportedly back down and stocks are up. With the ongoing market tumult, concerns have been shared over possible insider trading after an unusual spike in oil futures transactions, shortly before Trump announced talks with Iran.
Meanwhile, Admiral Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, reportedly said in a video statement today that the US military operation in Iran remains “on plan or ahead of plan.” According to Cooper, the US has struck over 10,000 military targets as of today, and Israel has struck “thousands more.” Moreover, the admiral claims that the US has destroyed some “92% of the Iranian navy’s largest vessels.”
Meanwhile, as the US and its allies try to plan how to get oil and other critical supplies moving through the strait again, the question remains. Even with more US forces heading into the region, it remains unclear whether any military force can solve the problem.
At the press briefing, Leavitt was also asked about Joe Kent’s statement that the red line had shifted in relation to Iran and a nuclear weapon.
Q: Joe Kent said the president’s red line shifted from ‘Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon’ to ‘Iran cannot pursue nuclear enrichment.’ What is the president’s response?
LEAVITT: Mr Kent resigned in disgrace. He has 0 credibility
Q: But the question of the red line shifting?… pic.twitter.com/3mdhr5pKJB
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 25, 2026
Meanwhile, after Joe Kent said Trump’s red line has shifted from “Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon” to “Iran cannot pursue nuclear enrichment,” reporters asked Leavitt about the President’s response. The White House Press Secretary simply stated that Kent has “resigned in disgrace” and has “zero credibility.” When asked again about the question of the red line shifting, Leavitt said, “I think the President has been quite clear.”
