President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is “very proud” of the decision to strike Iran, arguing that the resulting war has not derailed the economy and has coincided with record stock market gains.Speaking to reporters, Trump pointed to the market’s resilience despite the military campaign.“I’m very proud of that decision,” Trump said. “Today we hit another stock market high. We may have the highest stock market in history with a military conflict going on. Some people call it a war, some people call it a military conflict. It’s not a big thing for us. We have a great military.”
Trump argued that the economy has continued to perform strongly since the strikes began, saying people’s retirement accounts are benefiting.
“Everyone’s 401(k)s are the highest they’ve ever been,” he said. “Everybody’s making a lot of money. Costs are coming down. Everything’s good.”
Consumers, however, have faced higher costs, with one of the most significant economic consequences being a surge in energy prices after oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz were disrupted during the opening stages of the conflict. Gasoline prices have jumped due to the war, though prices have eased somewhat from their peak in recent weeks. As of Tuesday, the national average price for regular gasoline stood at $4.29 per gallon, remaining elevated compared with pre-war levels.
