President Donald Trump sparked fierce backlash Sunday evening when he bypassed urgent questions about military operations in Iran to praise newly installed statues in the White House Rose Garden, telling reporters: “Unbelievable statues, you’ll see. Come and look at them.”
The president returned to Washington from Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, one day after launching what the Pentagon has dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran. The joint U.S.-Israeli military assault killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, along with several senior officials, including Iran’s defense minister and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Three American service members have died in the conflict, with five others seriously wounded.
As reporters shouted questions about the operation’s objectives and who Trump wanted to lead Iran following Khamenei’s death, the president stopped mid-stride to admire statues of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin installed during his absence. When a journalist asked if he had a message for the families of fallen troops, Trump walked away without responding.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported that Trump refused to speak with reporters aboard Air Force One during the flight back from Florida, breaking with his typical practice. He did, however, speak to some reporters by phone over the weekend as the operation unfolded.
The sculptures were not in place when Trump departed for Texas on Friday. They represent the latest additions to a Rose Garden that Trump ordered renovated in June 2025.
Trump’s priorities drew immediate condemnation online. Observers contrasted his focus on garden décor with the gravity of American casualties and a widening conflict that has drawn retaliation from Iran across multiple Gulf states.
The controversy intensified Monday when US Central Command confirmed that three American F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in a friendly fire incident late Sunday evening. All six aircrew ejected safely and are in stable condition. Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense earlier confirmed that “several” U.S. warplanes had crashed.
Trump launched the surprise aerial bombing campaign Saturday evening after attending a black-tie gala at Mar-a-Lago, where he was photographed dancing to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” The strikes killed not only Khamenei but also Iran’s defense minister and the IRGC commander.
In a video statement Sunday addressing the American casualties, Trump offered a grim prediction: “And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends, that’s the way it is. But we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”
Trump, who received five draft deferments during the Vietnam War, did not rule out sending US troops to the ground in Iran “if they were necessary.” He also warned that Iran would face total obliteration if it retaliated against American leadership.
Public support for the military action remains tepid. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted February 28 – March 1 found that only 27% of Americans approved of the strikes, while 43% disapproved and 29% said they were unsure. Even among Republicans, just 55% approved, and roughly one in four Republicans believe Trump is too willing to use military force.
When confronted with the polling numbers, Trump dismissed the findings. “It’s not a question of polling. You cannot let Iran, which is a nation that has been run by crazy people, have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed support for the operation in comments to Fox News. “There is no sliver of light between us,” he said, adding that European allies support the elimination of Khamenei and the degradation of Iran’s nuclear capability.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened massive retaliation, warning that “the most-intense offensive operation in the history of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will begin in moments.” Satellite images from Airbus showed Khamenei’s compound in downtown Tehran heavily damaged by strikes.
Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum in February 2025, restoring his “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran, setting the stage for the current military confrontation. The full scope and duration of Operation Epic Fury remain unclear as the conflict enters its third day.