President Donald Trump brushed off questions about his mental health during a press conference, after a profanity-filled Truth Social post he shared on Easter Sunday drew widespread attention. When a reporter pointed out that critics were questioning his mental state given the ongoing conflict, Trump simply said, “I don’t care about critics.”
He wrote on Truth Social: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President Donald J. Trump.” The post drew immediate criticism from international legal experts, who warned that threatening civilian infrastructure could amount to a war crime.
At the press conference, a reporter reminded Trump that he had called Iranians “crazy bastards” in his post. According to Mediaite, Trump’s response was simply, “True.” He then defended himself against mental health concerns by saying, “you’re going to have to have more people like me, because our country was being ripped off on trade, on mil– on everything, for many years until I came along.”
Trump’s deadline for Iran carries real consequences if no deal is reached
Trump set a deadline of 8:00 PM Washington DC time on Tuesday, which is 12:00 AM GMT on Wednesday, for Iran to reach an “acceptable” deal, one that includes keeping energy flowing freely through the Gulf. He warned that if no agreement is made, the US could “take out” Iran “in one night” and send the country back to the “Stone Ages.” He added, “They’re going to have no bridges. They’re going to have no power plants.”
Despite Iran previously rejecting US demands and calling for a permanent end to the conflict along with the lifting of sanctions, Trump said he believed “reasonable” leaders in Iran were negotiating in “good faith.” He said, “We’re going to find out,” acknowledging the uncertainty around the talks.
This came even after multiple layers of Iranian leadership had been killed in US and Israeli strikes. Many observers also called for invoking the 25th Amendment over Trump’s conduct following the Easter post. Negotiations are facing serious obstacles.
A regional official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the situation, said that reaching Iranian officials has been difficult due to an ongoing communications blackout, with response times averaging around a day. Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt have all been involved in mediation efforts to help bridge that gap, reports BBC.
Legal experts have strongly condemned Trump’s threats against Iran’s power and transport infrastructure. Tess Bridgeman, a former National Security Council legal adviser under President Obama, told that “obliterating all power plants, threatening coercive actions against the civilian population to try to bring a government to the negotiating table, those kinds of things are all flatly illegal.”
When previously asked if such actions could be war crimes, Trump said he was not “worried.” At Monday’s press conference, he insisted that Iran’s population would be “willing to suffer to have freedom.” The press conference, held alongside Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen Dan Caine and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, also touched on a recent military incident.
Trump praised what he called the “heroic” rescue of two crew members from an F-15 fighter jet that was shot down in southern Iran. He also noted that US forces have conducted over 13,000 strikes across Iran since the conflict began, according to US Central Command.
Trump also renewed criticism of US allies, calling out the UK, NATO, and South Korea for not doing enough, stating, “That’s a mark on Nato that will never disappear,” and adding that the US did not “need” the UK. Trump had also doubled down on his Iran threat in an ABC interview shortly after the Easter post went viral.
Published: Apr 7, 2026 11:15 am