President Donald Trump doubled down on comments he made earlier this week about the extent to which Americans’ financial situations motivate him to make a deal to end the war in Iran.

“Not even a little bit,” Trump said when asked by a reporter as he departed for his state visit to China earlier this week. “The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation, I don’t think about anybody.”

When asked about the comment during a Friday night interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Trump said it was a “perfect statement.”

“I’d make it again,” he continued.

“You can imagine how many people stopped the soundbite at ‘I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation’ so what’s your response to that?” Baier asked

“It’s very simple, when people hear me say it, everybody agrees,” Trump said. “Short-term pain, it’s gonna be short-term pain.”

Trump on saying he doesn't think about Americans' financial situation: "It's a perfect statement. I'll make it again. Everybody agrees." pic.twitter.com/3RXFPKYcf5

Many Republicans this week attempted to explain away, or deny, that Trump made the statement.

“Well, I don’t think the president said that, I think that’s a misrepresentation of what the president said,” Vice President JD Vance said when pressed by reporters at the White House on Wednesday.

“I don’t know the context in which he made that comment, but I can tell you the president thinks about Americans’ financial situations,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) added Wednesday. “I talk to him, on average, twice a day, sometimes three or four times a day, and we talk about it constantly.”

Pod Save America host Tommy Vietor called it “one of the dumbest, most politically damaging things he has ever said,” on Friday, joining a chorus of other critics on social media.

Louder👏for👏the👏people👏in👏the👏back https://t.co/3KdwLPCFym

Trump doubles down on one of the dumbest, most politically damaging things he has ever said https://t.co/yoy3B7vF7c

Wow.Trump just DOUBLED DOWN on saying he doesn’t “think about Americans’ financial situation.” “I’d make it again.”Totally disqualifying! https://t.co/FVTVfgaPB7

He wasn’t “misquoted.”He wasn’t “taken out of context.”He DGAF about anything or anyone but himself. If you don’t understand that by now, then you’re choosing not to understand it. https://t.co/F9M5HkF44r

Yes a perfect statement…definitely keep saying it! https://t.co/Vfy00RK1px

And there goes Lucy swiping the football out from under all those “It was taken out of context” folks. Never fails. https://t.co/7XrvmDAHX3

PLEASE https://t.co/ZCkA5VQvgl

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