MaddowBlog-As war continues, Trump points to support from his many secret, unnamed friends

[LetMyPeopleVote]

The president is certain he’s on the right track in Iran because he’s received backing from powerful people he refuses to identify.

An unidentified former president told Trump how right he was to launch the war in Iran. Unidentified foreign officials also told him they’re enthusiastic about Strait of Hormuz assistance.

It’s amazing how Trump enjoys the support of his many secret friends, isn’t it?
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-03-17T12:47:07.741Z

Toward the end of Donald Trump’s remarks at a Kennedy Center board event on Monday, the president took a moment to congratulate himself on launching a war with Iran, while claiming to have received private validation from one of his White House predecessors.

TRUMP: I've spoken to a certain president, who I like actually, a past president, he said, 'I wish I did it.' But they didn't do it. I'm doing it.

Q: Which president?

TRUMP: I can't tell you that. It would be very bad for his career even though he's got no career left.

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-03-16T17:12:25.531Z

According to the Republican incumbent, he recently spoke to “a certain” former president who allegedly told him, in reference to the military offensive in Iran, “I wish I did it. I wish I did.” Asked which former president made the comments, Trump replied, “I can’t tell you that. I don’t want to embarrass him. It would be very bad for his career, even though he’s got no career left.”

Hours later, in the Oval Office, he repeated the story, claiming that a former president told him, “I wish I did what you did.” (Trump specifically said it was not George W. Bush.).....

Relatedly, the incumbent president boasted that there are countries that have responded to his call to assist the United States in the Strait of Hormuz, and that his administration would be “announcing them” soon. “I have to tell you, we have some that are really enthusiastic,” the Republican added. “They’re coming already. They’ve already started to get there.”

Trump on countries that will help keep Strait of Hormuz open: "We'll be announcing them. I have to tell you, we have some that are really enthusiastic. They're coming already. They've already started to. We'll give you a list."

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-03-16T16:58:32.609Z

The comments were notable in part because of Trump’s increasing incoherence on the subject, having changed his mind several times about whether he wants, needs or expects other countries to provide assistance in the region. (At one point on Monday, he claimed that he’d only sought international support as part of some kind of test, “because I want to find out how they react.”)....

In 2018, Bloomberg News published a memorable report that referred to Trump’s many “anonymous validators”: unnamed figures who were invariably important and powerful, who privately and habitually assured the president how right he was about his positions and priorities.

Eight year later, Trump continues to revel in the support of his many secret friends.

[2naSalit]

1. And they all...

Reside inside his bloated head.

[C_U_L8R]

2. The former President... of the Hair Club for Men

But even that is far-fetched.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

3. The only former POTUS talking to trump

[Jilly_in_VA]

4. He has imaginary friends, eh?

Well, that's not unlike a lot of toddlers, although my kids never did.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. Trump said he spoke to a former president about bombing Iran. Four denials suggest otherwise.

Trump said twice Monday that he spoke to one of his predecessors about the Iran war and that the former president said he wished he had taken the action Trump did

Link to tweet

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/said-spoke-a-former-president-bombing-iran-four-denials-suggest-not-rcna263819

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that one of his predecessors told him he wished he had been the one to bomb Iran.

An aide for George W. Bush told NBC News that “they haven’t been in touch,” while an aide to Bill Clinton told NBC News that whoever Trump was referring to was not Clinton.

An Obama aide said “no recent conversations” have taken place between Barack Obama and Trump, and a source familiar with the matter said the former president Trump was referring to was not Joe Biden.....

“I’ve spoken to a certain president — who I like, actually. A past president, former president, he said: ‘I wish I did it. I wish I did.’ But they didn’t do it. I’m doing it. Yeah?” Trump said at a lunch for Kennedy Center board members.

Later in the day, Trump repeated the claim in the Oval Office, saying: “I spoke to one of the former presidents who I actually like.”

“I actually speak to some,” Trump said. “And he said, ‘I wish I did what you did.’”

Asked by a reporter to elaborate on which president he was speaking to, Trump did not specify. He said it wasn’t Bush and then said “I don’t want to say” when he was asked it was Clinton.