Trump claims Iranians 'want to hear bombs' because they want to be free

Geoff Bennett:

Our White House correspondent, Liz Landers, was in the Briefing Room for President Trump's press conference today. And she joins us now.

So, Liz, let's talk more about that 48-hour timeline the president has given Iran. What more do we know about that?

Liz Landers:

That latest deadline is at 8:00 p.m. Eastern tomorrow. And the president said this yesterday. So we're about 24 hours from when that deadline is going to be reached. And that is when the president is threatening to bomb power plants, bridges, other sites across Iran.

He, though, Geoff has extended some of these timelines, these self-imposed timelines throughout the last month or so of this conflict. So that could change tomorrow. And I think we should be on the lookout for that. And he was asked today by a reporter in that press conference about the shifting messaging throughout this war. Take a listen to what he said.

Question:

Your messaging on the war has moved from the war is coming to an end to we're going to be bombing Iran to the Stone Ages.

President Donald Trump:

Right.

Question:

And we have heard a range of those kind of messages.

Donald Trump:

Sure.

Question:

So are you -- so which is it? Are you winding this down? Or are you escalating it?

Donald Trump:

Can't tell you. I can't tell you. I don't know. I can't tell you. It depends what they do. This is a critical period. They have a period of, well, until tomorrow at 8:00. I gave them an extension. They asked for an extension of seven days, right? I said, Steve, give them 10 days.

Liz Landers:

The president was asked if those threats to bomb energy infrastructure amounted to a war crime. And he said that he's not concerned about that and that he hopes that he doesn't have to do that. But he says, no, no, I'm not concerned, Geoff.

Geoff Bennett:

The president also said he was upset about what he called a leaker in the government who told members of the media about the second missing airman. Tell us more about that.

Liz Landers:

Last week, there was enormous interest around what happened with this aircraft that went down in Iran. Of course, news outlets were reporting on this, and, in particular, the missing second airman.

The president today said that he's going to pursue whoever leaked that information and threatened both the leaker, but he also made a point of threatening the journalists that reported this last week. He didn't name any news outlets, but he said that the government is going to go to these outlets and pressure them to reveal their sources. And he talked about using national security grounds to do this.

Geoff, this is the same administration that I would just remind people has recently gone after and raided the home of a Washington Post reporter for some of her reporting about the Trump administration.

Geoff Bennett:

And lastly -- excuse me -- before the press conference, the president participated in the annual White House Easter egg role. He was there at the rope line. You were as well. You talked to him. What did you ask him?

Liz Landers:

I asked him two Questions. The first one was about that post that Nick pointed to in his piece, where he used quite vulgar language when he was describing how he would bomb the power plants and bridges if Iran didn't open up the Strait of Hormuz.

I asked him why he used that on Easter Sunday. He said: "Only to make my point. I think you have heard it before."

I also asked him because, when we were in this rope line here, he was talking about how he was doing all of this to help the Iranian people. I said, how is it helping the Iranian people if you're going to bomb their energy infrastructure? Here's what he told me.

Donald Trump:

The Iranian people, when they don't hear bombs go off, they're upset. They want to hear bombs, because they want to be free. And the only reason they're not out protesting, you know that, is because they were informed that, if they protest, like the wrestler and his friends, if they protest, they will be shot immediately.

And that's an edict. That's in writing.

Liz Landers:

He went on to say that the Iranian people will fight back as soon as they can and as soon as they get weapons. But, Geoff, that is of course not the case right now.

Geoff Bennett:

Liz Landers, thanks so much for this reporting. We appreciate it.