Trump Falsely Claims Former President Endorsed Iran Bombing; All Living Ex-Presidents Deny Conversation

On March 16, 2026, President Donald Trump claimed twice that he had spoken to a former U.S. president who expressed regret for not attacking Iran and approved of Trump's military actions against the country. Trump declined to name the former president, saying he didn't want to "embarrass him." However, representatives for all four living former presidents—Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama—issued statements to CNN and other outlets categorically denying having any recent contact with Trump or discussing Iran with him. The denials were explicit and unequivocal, with spokespeople stating no such conversations occurred. This marks a verifiable false claim by Trump about private conversations with his predecessors, made while justifying his military actions in the Middle East and attempting to manufacture bipartisan legitimacy for his Iran policy.

"I spoke to a former president who expressed regret for not attacking Iran the way Trump has been doing. I don't want to embarrass him." — Statement made during press conference while defending military actions against Iran, attempting to claim bipartisan support from predecessors