1 hour ago
Last Updated:March 17, 2026, 14:51 IST
Who was Trump talking about? Representatives of all four living former US presidents have denied any recent contact with him on Iran, according to news reports
US President Donald Trump (IMAGE: REUTERS)
US President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that one of his predecessors told him he wished he had been the one to bomb Iran.
But according to NY Times and NBC, he did not speak to any of the four former living US presidents.
What Trump said
Trump claimed twice to have spoken to a former president about Iran.
“I’ve spoken to a certain president — who I like, actually. A past president, former president, he said: ‘I wish I did it. I wish I did.’ But they didn’t do it. I’m doing it. Yeah?" Trump said at a lunch for Kennedy Center board members.
Trump later repeated the claim in the Oval Office, saying: “I spoke to one of the former presidents who I actually like. I actually speak to some… And he said, ‘I wish I did what you did.’"
Asked by a reporter to elaborate on which president he was speaking to, Trump did not specify. He said it wasn’t Bush and then said “I don’t want to say" when he was asked it was Clinton.
“I don’t want to say because a member of a party, a member of a party, they have Trump derangement syndrome, but it’s somebody that happens to like me, and I like that person, who’s a smart person, but that person said, ‘I wish I did it.’ OK, but I don’t want to get into who. I don’t want to get him into trouble," Trump said.
“You know, it’s interesting. And maybe he’d be proud," Trump said about the former president. “And I could even ask him that: ‘Would you like me to reveal your name?’"
An aide for George W. Bush told NBC News that “they haven’t been in touch," while an aide to Bill Clinton told NBC News that whoever Trump was referring to was not Clinton.
An Obama aide said “no recent conversations" have taken place between Barack Obama and Trump, and a source familiar with the matter said the former president Trump was referring to was not Joe Biden.
What the four ex-Presidents said
Despite Trump’s claims, representatives for all four living former presidents have denied any recent contact with him regarding this matter, according to news reports.
Barack Obama: Aides confirmed no recent contact.
George W Bush: Representatives stated he has not been in touch with Trump recently.
Bill Clinton: His team also denied the conversation, with Clinton himself later stating he had not spoken to Trump about any such topic.
Joe Biden: His representatives confirmed no recent communication.
Trump specifically mentioned to reporters that the person was not George W. Bush, but when asked if it was Bill Clinton, he responded with, “I don’t want to say". Without a name or confirmation from the parties involved, the identity of the former president remains unverified.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the denials Monday night.
With agency inputs
First Published:
March 17, 2026, 14:45 IST
News world Trump Says US Ex-President ‘Wished He Had Bombed Iran’; All 4 Deny Speaking To Him
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