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MaddowBlog-Even Trump's own team hedges on his claim about strike on girls' school in Iran
The president blamed Iran for the strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school building. His team did not.
As a rule, members of Trump’s team echo whatever he says, without regard for evidence, facts, or propriety.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-03-09T12:32:41.171Z
But on the deadly strike on a girls’ school in Iran, that didn’t happen.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/even-trumps-team-hedges-on-his-claim-about-strike-on-girls-school-in-iran
Over the course of the first week of the conflict, Donald Trump said effectively nothing about the deadly incident, but during a Q&A with reporters aboard Air Force One on the seventh day of the war, the president was asked whether the U.S. had bombed the school.
“No,” he replied. “No. In my opinion and based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran. … We think it was done by Iran.”
But then something interesting happened. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was standing next to the president when he blamed Iran, and a reporter asked, “Is that true, Mr. Hegseth? It was Iran who did that?”
The beleaguered Pentagon chief replied, “We’re certainly investigating.”....
As a rule in this administration, there’s a straightforward model that officials are expected to follow: Trump makes a dubious claim, and those who serve at his pleasure endorse the accuracy of that claim, without regard for evidence or propriety, establishing a new version of reality for the White House and its allies.
But in this case, that hasn’t happened. Even the president’s sycophantic employees heard his claim but refused to back it, which speaks volumes about its reliability.
For his part, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and told host Jake Tapper, in reference to the strike on the school, “I think it’s unforgivable under any circumstances. But the fact that this was one of our first targeting decisions, that this mistake was made on the first day of war, I think speaks to the incompetence of our leadership at the Department of Defense.”
“No,” he replied. “No. In my opinion and based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran. … We think it was done by Iran.”
Reporter: Did the US bomb an elementary school and kill 175 people?
— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) 2026-03-07T23:10:45.500Z
Trump: Based on what I’ve seen, it was done by Iran.
Reporter: Is that true Mr. Hegseth?
Hegseth: We’re investigating.
Trump: They are very inaccurate with their munitions. It was done by Iran.
But then something interesting happened. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was standing next to the president when he blamed Iran, and a reporter asked, “Is that true, Mr. Hegseth? It was Iran who did that?”
The beleaguered Pentagon chief replied, “We’re certainly investigating.”....
As a rule in this administration, there’s a straightforward model that officials are expected to follow: Trump makes a dubious claim, and those who serve at his pleasure endorse the accuracy of that claim, without regard for evidence or propriety, establishing a new version of reality for the White House and its allies.
But in this case, that hasn’t happened. Even the president’s sycophantic employees heard his claim but refused to back it, which speaks volumes about its reliability.
For his part, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and told host Jake Tapper, in reference to the strike on the school, “I think it’s unforgivable under any circumstances. But the fact that this was one of our first targeting decisions, that this mistake was made on the first day of war, I think speaks to the incompetence of our leadership at the Department of Defense.”