Donald Trump has lashed out at a Wall Street Journal column that accused Iran of taking him for a sucker, following his decision to extend a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
The US president took to his Truth Social platform to denounce the article, written by columnist Elliot Kaufman, which was headlined “The Iranians Take Trump for a Sucker”. Trump called Kaufman an “IDIOT” and claimed the newspaper had “LOST ITS WAY!”.
In the column, Kaufman argued that Trump had repeatedly given up US leverage in exchange for promises to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, only for Iran to renege and demand more concessions. He wrote: “How many times will President Trump pay Iran for the same real estate?”
Trump hit back, declaring: “Really? For 47 years, they have killed our people, and many others, and taken advantage of every President, except me — And what did I give to them, a Country in tatters!” He cited US military strikes against Iran’s Navy and Air Force as evidence of his success, and described Iran as an “economic catastrophe hanging by a thread”.
The row comes after Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran, prompting critics to accuse him of “blinking” again in the conflict and taunting him with the acronym TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out).
