Trump on "the only thing that matters" in dealing with Iran

Politics Trump says "I don't think about Americans' financial situation" in Iran talks, calls nuclear threat "only thing that matters" By Kathryn Watson Kathryn Watson Politics Reporter Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Kathryn Watson May 12, 2026 / 5:09 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — As inflation rose to its highest rate in years and CBS News polling shows high prices at the pump are causing financial strain for many Americans, President Trump told reporters Tuesday, "I don't think about Americans' financial situation" as a motivation for negotiations with Iran, and said he is only concerned with preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.When asked by a reporter how much Americans' finances are "motivating you to make a deal," Mr. Trump responded: "Not even a little bit.""The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon," Mr. Trump said before leaving on a trip to Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. "I don't think about Americans' financial situation, I don't think about anybody. I think about one thing — we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, that's all.""The most important thing by far, including whether our stock market, which by the way is at an all-time high, but including whether our stock market goes up or down a little bit, the most important thing by far is Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," the president responded when another reporter followed up to clarify his remarks."Every American understands," he added.As the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed and with no clear resolution in the Middle East in sight, the president's support on the economy has slumped. Last month, 51% of Americans in a CBS News/YouGov poll said higher gas prices pose a financial hardship or difficulty. Inflation for the month of April rose to an annual rate of 3.8%, the highest inflation 2023. The p...