During a Beijing interview aired May 15, Fox News anchor Bret Baier pressed President Donald Trump on repeated promises that the Iran conflict would be resolved quickly—while polling shows deep dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of soaring gas prices and in
President Donald Trump sat down for an extensive Fox News interview in Beijing on Friday, May 15, and the questions came fast—especially around one thing he has said again and again: that the war involving Iran would be resolved quickly.
The exchange aired as Trump traveled to China in hopes of advancing talks related to the Iran conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. a shipping chokepoint that remains partially blockaded by Tehran.. That blockade has disrupted oil shipments and contributed to rising global energy prices. even as Americans keep watching their local gas bills climb.
Fox News anchor Bret Baier challenged Trump directly about his earlier promises. “You did say it was going to be fairly quick and you said it numerous times,” Baier told the president.
Trump pushed back by framing the conflict as fundamentally different from other political flashpoints.. He compared the situation to the idea that “they are trying to make a nuclear weapon. ” and said. “We’re going to have a solution one way or the other.” He added that the end result is “either going to be violent or not violent.”
The pressure on Trump’s Iran track lands at the same time as growing anger over costs at the pump.. A new survey found that 79% of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of gas prices.. The timing is tense: the national average price for gasoline reached $4.52 per gallon by Sunday. May 17—about a 50% increase since the war began.
The dissatisfaction is broad. It extends beyond Democrats, with the survey showing 85% of independents disapprove, and even half of Republicans say they disapprove of Trump’s handling of fuel costs.
That kind of split is hard for any incumbent to ignore, and it has become especially sensitive for Republicans as midterms approach and cost-of-living concerns increasingly steer voter attention. Trump’s own words have added fuel to the backlash.
On May 12. before departing for China. Trump told reporters that Americans’ financial struggles were “not even a little bit” of a motivating factor in negotiations involving Iran.. When Baier brought that line up during the interview, Trump agreed with it—saying, “That’s right.. That’s a perfect statement.. I’d make it again.”
The remark has drawn criticism because it appears to brush aside inflation and consumer cost worries while fuel prices rise nationwide. The Trump administration has said weakening Iran’s nuclear ambitions and pursuing regime change remain central objectives of the military campaign.
The interview also aired as CNN polling reflected widespread frustration tied to the Iran conflict.. And one CNN data analyst, Harry Enten, characterized Trump’s economic numbers as among the worst he has ever seen.. On CNN’s Table for Five. Enten said. “We’re taking about the worst polls ever for any president belong to Donald John Trump. ” adding that Trump is “doing worse” on inflation than former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Joe Biden.
Taken together, the night in Beijing turned into a direct test of how Trump’s Iran timeline is landing at home—when the president argues the outcome is near, Fox pressed him on repeated predictions, and Americans responded through polling that tracks their frustration at the gas pump.
Donald Trump Fox News Bret Baier Iran conflict Strait of Hormuz gas prices inflation midterms polling Harry Enten