Former Presidents' Aides Deny Trump's Claim About Iran Strikes

Trump said a predecessor confided they wished they had taken similar action, but all living ex-presidents' teams refute the claim.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 7:23am

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Former U.S. presidents' aides have denied President Donald Trump's claim that one of his predecessors privately confided they wished they had taken similar military action against Iran as Trump did. Trump said a 'certain president' told him they 'wished I did it' in reference to the U.S. strikes that killed Iran's top general, but representatives for all four living ex-presidents - Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden - have disputed Trump's account.

Why it matters

Trump's claim, if true, could have significant political implications as it would suggest a former president privately endorsed his controversial decision to order the killing of a top Iranian official. However, the denial from all living ex-presidents' teams casts doubt on Trump's assertion and raises questions about his truthfulness on foreign policy matters.

The details

During a meeting of the Kennedy Center's board on Monday, Trump said that for 47 years no president was willing to take the action he did against Iran, and that a 'certain president' he 'likes' had told him they 'wish I did it.' When pressed, Trump refused to name the former president, saying he didn't want to 'embarrass him.' Trump repeated the claim later in the Oval Office, leading reporters to speculate it could have been George W. Bush or Bill Clinton, but Trump again declined to identify the predecessor.

  • On March 16, 2026, Trump made the claim about a former president during a Kennedy Center meeting.
  • Later on March 16, 2026, Trump repeated the claim in the Oval Office.

The players

Donald Trump

The current President of the United States who claimed a predecessor privately praised his Iran strikes.

Bill Clinton

A former President of the United States whose aide denied he had any recent conversations with Trump.

George W. Bush

A former President of the United States whose aide said he 'hasn't been in touch' with Trump.

Barack Obama

A former President of the United States whose aide said there had been 'no recent conversations' between him and Trump.

Joe Biden

A former President of the United States who was not the predecessor Trump was referring to, according to an unnamed source.

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What they’re saying

“For 47 years, no president was willing to do what I'm doing...there's no president that wanted to do it and yet every president knew.”

— Donald Trump, President of the United States (Forbes)

“I can't tell you that. I don't want to embarrass him. It would be very bad for his career, even though he's got no career.”

— Donald Trump, President of the United States (Forbes)

What’s next

The White House has not provided any further details about which former president Trump was referring to, leaving the claim unsubstantiated.

The takeaway

Trump's unverified claim about a predecessor privately praising his Iran strikes highlights the ongoing tensions between the current president and his predecessors, as well as the need for greater transparency around high-level foreign policy decisions.