Karoline Leavitt Says Trump Bombed Iran Due To A 'Feeling, Based On Fact'

The administration has offered a series of shifting reasons for the strikes, but Leavitt added one more to the mix: vibes, basically.

During Wednesday’s press briefing, a reporter from The Independent asked why the administration “can’t say what the imminent threat against the United States was” that required the U.S. to launch Operation Epic Fury.

The press secretary declared that she would “explain to you exactly what led the president to make the decision” — and it seemed to boil down to feelings.

“This decision to launch this operation was based on a cumulative effect of various direct threats that Iran posed to the United States of America, and the president’s feeling, based on fact, that Iran does pose an imminent and direct threat to the United States of America,” she said.

Leavitt called Iran “the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism,” said it was “rapidly and aggressively building up” its missile program, and accused the country of being “hellbent on death and destruction.”

She continued, “The president had a feeling, again, based on fact, that Iran was going to strike the United States, was going to strike our assets in the region, and he made a determination to launch Operation Epic Fury based on all of those reasons.”

You can see the complete exchange in the video below.

Considering that “facts don’t care about your feelings” is a pet phrase of many conservatives thanks to podcaster Ben Shapiro, many people on social media were couldn’t help but notice Leavitt’s phrasing.