At today's press conference, Trump answered questions from reporters.
Reporter: Will you use nuclear weapons against Iran? You previously posted something related on Truth Social a few weeks ago.
Trump: "No, I won't. We don't need to. Why ask such a stupid question? Why use nuclear weapons? We've already thoroughly devastated them using conventional means—there's absolutely no need for nuclear weapons. Nobody should be allowed to use nuclear weapons."
Micro-comment:
The reporter directly confronted Trump by pointing out his earlier implied suggestion, made on Truth Social just weeks prior, that nuclear options against Iran might be considered (though specific content was not disclosed). In response, Trump immediately denied any intention to use nuclear weapons, emphasizing that conventional military strikes had already "completely devastated" Iran. He then dismissed the question as foolish and concluded with a universal statement: "Nobody should be allowed to use nuclear weapons."
Evidently, this is a typical example of a rhetorical strategy involving "denial + redirection + softening of position"—its core purpose being to reconcile contradictions between his past statements while maintaining an image of toughness toward Iran.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863299661980684/
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