National Security Advisor John Bolton responded to media speculation about whether he was informed about President Donald Trump’s Twitter warning to Iran late Sunday night.
“I spoke to the President over the last several days, and President Trump told me that if Iran does anything at all to the negative, they will pay a price like few countries have ever paid before,” Bolton said in a statement sent to reporters.
Washington establishment critics of the president expressed alarm at Trump’s all-caps warning to Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani.
“NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE,” Trump wrote. “WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!”
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders also backed Trump’s message to Iran, reminding critics that Trump had campaigned on an aggressive approach to Iran.
“He certainly is not going to listen to aggressive leaders from other countries and their empty threats against America,” Sanders said in an interview on Fox News.