Trump openly muses about doing 'some dastardly things' after Saudi oil attacks

President Trump suggested Wednesday he may do "some dastardly things" in response to attacks on Saudi Arabia oil production facilities, which Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is calling an "act of war."

Trump spoke after Saudi Arabia doubled down on its claims that Iran is responsible for strikes on its oil production facilities last weekend. In response to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) arguing that Trump's "measured response" to Iran this year has been seen as a "sign of weakness," Trump argued Wednesday his response has actually been a "sign of strength" while asking Graham how "going into the Middle East" worked out.

"It's very easy to attack," Trump said, Bloomberg reports. "...There's plenty of time to do some dastardly things. It's very easy to start, and we'll see what happens."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Trump added that "if we have to do something, we'll do it, without hesitation." This statement came after Trump announced his administration will "substantially increase" sanctions on Iran, although he provided no further details. Asked Wednesday about the options he's considering, Trump would not specify but said "there are many options," including ones that are "a lot less" than "the ultimate option," meaning "war." Brendan Morrow