He put U.S. troops “in harm’s way”, Kamala Harris slams Trump ahead of his Iran War address

President Donald Trump addressed the nation on Wednesday to share an update on the U.S. military campaign in Iran war dubbed Operation Epic Fury. While many anticipated him to provide a concrete timeline on when the war would end, former Vice President Kamala Harris took to X hours before the address to criticize the president and predict how his speech would go. Harris slammed Trump for dragging Americans into a war they didn't want and urged people not to go by what he says but look at what he is doing.

In her post, Harris shared that she won't be able to watch the president's address, but she didn't expect him to do anything different other than falsely claiming victory. "Here's the thing. He brought America into a war that people do not want. He has put American troops in harm's way, costs are rising by the day, and meanwhile, he has done nothing to address the needs of the people of America," the Democratic leader said.  "And I bet you he's going to try and claim victory tonight, but the reality is we're watching what he does instead of listening to what he says," she concluded. 

The U.S. and Israel began military strikes on Iran in February, which resulted in the death of the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The conflict has stretched on for over a month, and it has had deeper implications on the global economy, with Tehran swiftly closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for the world's crude oil supply. Harris criticized the move at the beginning of the conflict as well, accusing Trump of lying on the campaign trail when he “promised to end wars rather than start them.”

On Wednesday's televised address from the White House, President Trump touted the successes of the U.S. military operations and repeated what he has claimed multiple times, that the war won't last much longer, without providing a concrete timeline. While he claimed the conflict was "nearing completion," the president added that it could stretch for the next two to three weeks, during which the U.S. will "hit them extremely hard" and bring Tehran "back to the stone ages". Trump delivered a conflicting message as he went on to add that discussions are also ongoing with the U.S. having all the cards. 

President Trump's remarks sent shockwaves through the global oil and stock markets, with crude prices rising and shares falling.  The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil, rose to $106 a barrel, marking a 5% increase as it had settled at $101.16 on Tuesday, according to CNBC. The address failed to provide any relief to American consumers, too, as U.S. gasoline prices continued to rise, hitting the $4.06 a gallon mark on Tuesday, the highest since 2022. According to the AAA, the gas prices have jumped by 36% since the start of the conflict, but President Trump has repeatedly claimed that these are temporary shocks.  “Many Americans have been concerned to see the recent rise in gasoline prices here at home… This short-term increase has been entirely the result of the Iranian regime," he said in the address. He added that it is a price worth paying as nuclear weapons in the hands of Tehran would have resulted in years of extortion and economic pain.  The United States has never been better prepared economically to confront this threat," Trump claimed.