Trump praises then condemns Iranians
Within three weeks, Trump went from calling Iranians 'brave, rational, smart people' to calling their leaders 'scum' at the NATO summit in Turkey.
Where this was said
US-Iran War: Khamenei Buried as Hostilities Continue
At 0:51 · chapter starts 0:14
Jael Snyder opens the newscast with one of the most seismic foreign policy stories of the era: the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, who was killed in the opening strikes of the active US-Iran war [1] — Jael Snyder "Iran's Supreme Leader was killed in the opening strikes of the war with the US and was laid to rest in Northeast Iran before massive crowds…" 00:17 . Huge crowds gathered in Northeast Iran following a week of processions and mourning ceremonies — even as the US and Iran continued to exchange fire for a second consecutive day. The story then pivots to the diplomatic dimension: just three weeks before, President Trump had spoken warmly of Iranians as brave, rational, and smart people to deal with [2] — Franco Ordonez "Three weeks after calling Iranians 'rational, smart, brave people,' Trump stood at the NATO summit in Turkey and called their leaders 'scum…" 00:51 . But at the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump delivered a starkly different verdict, calling their leaders 'scum' and 'sick people.' NPR's Franco Ordonez frames the whiplash not as chaos but as pattern — Trump oscillating between praise and condemnation in a calculated, if volatile, attempt to bring the war to an end. It is a portrait of a presidency wrestling with a conflict it is simultaneously escalating and trying to end.
Khamenei killed in opening strikes
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes of the US-Iran war and was laid to rest amid huge funeral crowds in Northeast Iran.
Ayatollah Khamenei Killed, Buried Amid Active US-Iran Hostilities
Iran's Supreme Leader was killed in the opening strikes of the war with the US and was laid to rest in Northeast Iran before massive crowds. The funeral came as US-Iran exchanges of fire entered their second consecutive day.
US-Iran exchange fire day 2
The US and Iran exchanged fire for a second consecutive day as Khamenei's funeral took place.
Trump's Stunning Reversal on Iran: 'Rational People' to 'Scum' in Three Weeks
Three weeks after calling Iranians 'rational, smart, brave people,' Trump stood at the NATO summit in Turkey and called their leaders 'scum.' NPR's Franco Ordonez frames this as a deliberate pattern — swinging between praise and condemnation to try to will the war to an end.
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