President Donald Trump sought advice from his top officials on his Iran plans—then got mad at them over it, his longtime biographer has revealed.
Trump, 79, sat down with top administration officials in the White House Situation Room last week to weigh his options amid a tense face-off with Tehran. The New York Times previously reported that the meeting was attended by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan “Raizin” Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
But author Michael Wolff said the president was left frustrated by the discussion.
“A report I got from someone close in about this meeting in the Situation Room: it was described as a very typical Trump meeting. He asked for analysis and then didn’t listen,” Wolff told his Inside Trump’s Head co-host Joanna Coles.
“He asked for solutions and then was irritated that no one could provide a clear path. And then asked for—demanded—assurances of success and got mad at the generals and the experts who flatly couldn’t give him those assurances,” Wolff continued.
Trump had been considering launching an initial strike on Iran in the coming days, as well as a broader military assault later in the year if Tehran refuses to accept his demands to give up its nuclear program, according to The Times.
Both Axios and The Wall Street Journal later reported that Caine, widely considered a trusted Trump aide, had urged caution over significant risks of casualties, depleted air defenses, and an overworked force. Those reports sent Trump into a Truth Social meltdown against the media.
“General Caine, like all of us, would like not to see War but, if a decision is made on going against Iran at a Military level, it is his opinion that it will be something easily won,” he wrote.
“Razin Caine is a Great Fighter, and represents the Most Powerful Military anywhere in the World,” Trump argued. “He has not spoken of not doing Iran, or even the fake limited strikes that I have been reading about, he only knows one thing, how to WIN and, if he is told to do so, he will be leading the pack.”
But Wolff said that’s not what Caine actually said, according to insiders.
“General Caine apparently outlined that there were very problematic tactical and strategic issues here,” he said. “Now, Trump translated that into saying, basically, ‘We can do it. Everything is gonna go great. It will be a success.’”
“That would comport with this description of Trump in the meeting because he doesn’t listen. The analysis outlines all of the immense difficulties there. Trump spent a lot of time saying he wanted to do what we did in Venezuela. And everybody is like, ‘Well, this situation is nothing like Venezuela,’” Wolff added, referring to the January operation where U.S. forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
Although Trump understands that his Iran plots may not be so simple, he has been stressing to people in the White House that “‘I have to look strong, not weak.’ And then saying to people, ‘Don’t let them f— me over,’” according to Wolff.
The White House did not immediately return the Daily Beast’s request for comment.
But White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told the Journal: “President Trump listens to feedback from all members of his national security team, and he is always the final decision maker.”
Ahead of Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, Rubio and Ratcliffe gave an Iran briefing to the “Gang of Eight,” the bipartisan group of top lawmakers.
“Look, this is serious, and the administration has to make its case to the American people,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters after the briefing.
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