New: Trump Stands Firm, Iran's Deadline Holds

On Monday, President Trump presided over a real barn-burner of a press briefing in the White House briefing room. The primary topic was the rescue of an American aviator on Sunday, but the president took questions on the overall conduct and progress of Operation Epic Fury as well. As is his usual practice, the president was very direct in his answers - particularly when it came to the deadline he has imposed on what's left of Iran's leadership, to make a deal or learn what the "or else" is all about.

Here are some highlights: First, the president spoke about the possibility of Iran gaining a nuclear weapon.

.@POTUS: These are disturbed people. If you think I'm going to allow them to have a nuclear weapon, you can tell your friends at the New York Times — not gonna happen! pic.twitter.com/gefy7OZkpx
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 6, 2026

The president said:

47 years they've been negotiating with these people. They're great negotiators, and... because they're not going to have a nuclear weapon. And if somebody that takes my place someday is weak and ineffective, which possibly that will happen, because we had numerous presidents who were weak, ineffective, and afraid of Iran, we're never gonna let Iran have a nuclear weapon.
And if you think it's okay for people who are sick of mind, that are tough, smart, and sick, really sick from a policy standpoint, from a, any which way, you want to say mentally, these are disturbed people. If you think I'm going to allow them — and powerful and rich — to have a nuclear weapon, you can tell your friends at the New York Times: not gonna happen!

This has been the president's goal all along, as we know: To prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon. Any change in Iran's government, President Trump seems to see as a happy fringe benefit, although it would be an earth-shaking event, not just for Iran or the Middle East, but for the world.

Next, the president responded to a question about the deadline he has imposed on Iran.

.@POTUS: "This is a critical period... We're giving them until tomorrow, 8:00 pm Eastern Time — and after that, they're going to have no bridges. They're going to have no power plants. Stone ages." pic.twitter.com/Ka2NdHScMu
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 6, 2026

Here, the president said:

This is a critical period. They have a period of, well, till tomorrow at 8 o'clock. I gave them an extension; they asked for an extension of seven days, right? I said, "Steve, give them 10 days." Ten days is up actually, today, so... gave 'em 11, I guess, indirectly. I thought it was inappropriate the day after Easter. I wanna be a nice person.
They have till tomorrow — now we'll see what happens. I can tell you they're negotiating. We think in good faith. We're gonna find out. We're getting the help of some incredible countries that want this to be ended, because it affects them also. A lot of people are affected by this. But we're giving them until tomorrow, 8 o'clock Eastern Time. And after that, they're gonna have no bridges. They're gonna have no power plants. Stone age... yeah.

The deadline will hold. Previous presidents, we might remember, were famous for drawing a line in the sand, then another, and then another. Not so this time; Iran seems to be absorbing the lesson that the United States isn't playing that game anymore.

Trump Says Iran's Peace Proposals 'Not Good Enough,' Sets Deadline on When US Will Intensify Attacks

Finally, speaking about the endgame for Iran:

.@POTUS: "I think that 47 years of this stuff is long enough. They're at the weakest point they've ever been... all I want to see is I want to have a safe world." pic.twitter.com/RUTgzJUmNi
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 6, 2026

The president said:

No, I think that 47 years of this stuff is long enough. They’re at the weakest point they’ve ever been. They have no Navy. They have no Air Force. They have no anti-aircraft weaponry. They have no radar. They have no communication.
In fact, the biggest problem we have in our negotiation is that they can’t communicate. I said to Steve, what are they saying? "Sir, they can’t communicate. They have no method of communication. So we're communicating like they used to communicate 2,000 years ago, with children bringing a note back and forth. They have no communication.
All I want to see is that I want to have a safe world. And you're not going to have a safe world. Israel will be gone. The Middle East will be gone, and then they’re coming for Europe.

47 years of this is long enough.

Taking Iran's theocracy off the board would be the greatest accomplishment any American president could manage. These vicious 7th-century barbarians have had their way long enough. They have pushed the other nations of the Middle East around for long enough. They have caused trouble around the world for long enough. Now, it looks like what President Trump is describing in this presser is the endgame.

Let's hope he pulls it off.

Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.

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