LEILA FADEL, HOST:
President Trump remains undecided on whether to join Israel's war against Iran. Here's some of what the president said to reporters yesterday about striking an Iranian facility at Fordo.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We're the only ones that have the capability to do it, but that doesn't mean I'm going to do it at all.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
In the space of a few minutes, the president said, quote, "I've had it with Iran," but also said that in war, quote, "a lot of bad things can happen."
FADEL: NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez joins us to talk about it. Good morning, Franco.
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ, BYLINE: Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: So you were part of the scrum of reporters pressing President Trump yesterday for details of his plans. What's he signaling?
ORDOÑEZ: You know, the president continues to leave the door open for U.S. strikes. In the Oval Office, he told us he has some ideas about what to do, but that he also likes to make final decisions at the last minute because things change, especially with war. And he had this to say on the lawn.
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TRUMP: I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do. I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate. And I said, why didn't you negotiate with me before all this death?
ORDOÑEZ: Yesterday, he met again with his national security team inside the Situation Room, and they are clearly continuing to discuss these next steps.
FADEL: So we hear him there saying, maybe I'll do it, maybe I won't. I mean, is this just a negotiating tactic to pressure Iran?
ORDOÑEZ: I mean, that is always a high potential with Trump. I mean, remember, his message is often peace through strength, and he's definitely giving off some mixed signals. I mean, I asked him several times about whether he'd send U.S. officials to meet with Iranians, which he said he might. Trump said Iranian officials have actually reached out to him to negotiate, including suggesting a visit to the White House. Trump said he was open to that idea and appreciated the offer, but he also said it was probably too late.
FADEL: OK. How is Iran responding?
ORDOÑEZ: I mean, strongly. I mean, the foreign minister released a statement last night saying that Iran is solely acting in self-defense and that they are not seeking to develop a nuclear weapon. And Iran's diplomatic mission to the United Nations dismissed Trump's claims that Iran seeks negotiations with the White House, even calling Trump cowardly. The mission said they would not negotiate under duress.
FADEL: Franco, you told us yesterday about how the prospect of U.S. involvement has really split Trump's most ardent supporters. Anything new there?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah, it really has. And Trump has really bristled over the comments from former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who opposes U.S. intervention. Trump actually said yesterday that Carlson called him and apologized for some of the things he said, but Carlson has not backed down, nor have others, such as Trump's former aide, Steve Bannon, who told reporters at an event yesterday that MAGA world is very concerned about another forever war. Trump had this to say about those kind of concerns.
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TRUMP: I don't want to fight, either. I'm not looking to fight. But if it's a choice between fighting and them having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do.
FADEL: Can we talk more, though, about his evolution? Because this is a dramatic shift from just a week ago, when he was invested in a diplomatic resolution with Iran.
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah, I mean, clearly, he's had an evolution in his thinking. And he acknowledged that yesterday, explaining how it shifted after the first night of strikes, how he's been disappointed in the slow pace of negotiations. You know, that evolution has been particularly stark over the last few days, you know, first denying involvement in the strikes, to later taking some credit for it. And now Trump is saying that the U.S. may be the only ones to finish the job.
FADEL: That's NPR's Franco Ordoñez. Thank you, Franco.
ORDOÑEZ: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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