‘A litany of lies’: Trump’s rambling primetime Iran address sparks backlash

President Trump delivered a 19-minute primetime address from the White House on Wednesday regarding the ongoing military conflict with Iran, which began on February 28. The speech sparked widespread backlash from commentators, who criticized it as rambling and filled with inaccuracies, particularly after Trump vowed to continue bombing Iran to "bring them back to the stone ages." The address defied pre-speech speculation that Trump might signal a de-escalation or wind-down of the U.S. military effort. Instead, Trump doubled down on the military campaign, drawing shock and bewilderment from analysts who had anticipated a different rhetorical direction. The fierce criticism underscores the contentious political response to the administration's Iran strategy.