White House Says Trump’s Iran Campaign Is Ahead of Schedule, Pushes ‘Save America Act’ at Press Briefing
At a White House briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt outlined President Trump’s upcoming schedule and delivered an extensive update on both foreign policy and domestic priorities.
She said President Trump will travel Wednesday to Ohio and Kentucky, where he will promote what the administration describes as economic victories and efforts to lower prices for working Americans. According to the White House, Trump will visit Thermo Fisher Scientific in Ohio and speak at Vers Logistics in Kentucky. On Thursday, the president and the First Lady are expected to host a Women’s History Month event in the East Room, and on Friday Trump is scheduled to sign several executive orders.
A major focus of the briefing was Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military campaign against Iran. Leavitt said the operation is progressing faster than expected and described it as a major success so far. She claimed that more than 5,000 enemy targets have already been struck, while Iranian ballistic missile attacks have fallen by more than 90 percent and drone attacks by about 85 percent since the operation began. She also said the Iranian navy has been severely degraded, with more than 50 vessels destroyed, including what she described as a major drone carrier ship.
According to the White House, the administration’s objectives remain unchanged: destroy Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, eliminate its missile-production infrastructure, weaken its regional proxies, and ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. Leavitt said Trump remains confident these goals can be achieved quickly and said the operation will end only when the president decides Iran no longer poses a credible threat to the United States and its allies.
On energy and oil markets, Leavitt acknowledged temporary disruptions tied to the conflict, especially around the Strait of Hormuz. She said the administration has offered political-risk insurance to tankers in the Gulf, temporarily waived certain oil-related sanctions, and is prepared to use the U.S. Navy to escort vessels if necessary. She argued that recent increases in oil and gas prices are temporary and predicted that energy prices could eventually fall below pre-conflict levels once the operation’s objectives are met.
Leavitt also shifted to domestic policy, urging Congress to pass what she called the “Save America Act,” which she described as one of the administration’s top legislative priorities. She said the bill would require voter ID, proof of citizenship to register to vote, restrictions on universal mail-in voting while preserving some absentee-ballot exceptions, a permanent ban on men competing in women’s sports, and a ban on gender-transition surgeries for minors. She framed the legislation as a common-sense measure to protect election integrity and called on both Republicans and Democrats to support it.
During the question-and-answer session, Leavitt rejected Democratic claims that the voting provisions would disenfranchise married women who changed their names. She said already registered voters would not be affected and argued that those who need to update documents can do so through existing state procedures.
She also addressed funding problems affecting the Department of Homeland Security, saying Trump wants agencies such as TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard fully funded and reopened. Speaking about federal workers and travelers affected by the disruption, she blamed Democrats in Congress and urged Americans to pressure lawmakers to restore funding.
On the military timeline, Leavitt said the original estimate for Operation Epic Fury was four to six weeks, but claimed U.S. forces are moving ahead of schedule. Asked whether “boots on the ground” remain possible, she said Trump does not rule out options as commander-in-chief, but declined to confirm any specific plans. She also avoided directly endorsing the idea of regime change in Iran, while suggesting it would obviously be better for the United States and its allies not to have a radical regime in power there.
Leavitt confirmed that the U.S. Navy has not yet escorted any tankers, despite an earlier social-media post from the energy secretary suggesting otherwise. She said that post was quickly deleted and referred further questions to the Department of Energy.
Asked about reports that around 150 U.S. service members have been injured, Leavitt said that figure sounded plausible but deferred precise casualty numbers to the Pentagon. She also declined to provide specifics on potential sanctions changes, including questions about Venezuela and Russia, saying discussions are ongoing.
Other topics raised during the briefing included Russia’s contacts with Iran, Pakistan’s possible role in the conflict, the status of an investigation into a strike on an Iranian school, Cuba’s economic crisis, the new “Shield of the Americas” coalition focused on countering cartels, homeland-security threat levels, and the recent attempted bombing in New York City. Leavitt described the New York attack as despicable and said the FBI, Justice Department, and Southern District of New York are pursuing charges.
Toward the end of the briefing, Leavitt highlighted new tax data, saying millions of Americans are already seeing benefits from Trump’s recently passed tax package. She said the average federal tax refund is now above $3,700 and pointed to millions of returns claiming new tax breaks, including deductions related to tips, overtime, seniors, and car-loan interest.
Overall, the White House used the briefing to present a message of confidence: that Trump’s Iran operation is advancing faster than planned, that temporary market disruptions are under control, and that Congress should urgently move on the administration’s domestic agenda, especially the Save America Act.
SourcesL The White House , Midtown Tribune news