FACT-CHECKED • SOURCED • UPDATED

PROMISES MADE.
PROMISES BROKEN.

He promised lower prices on Day One. He promised no new wars. His own advisors now say your pain is "the last of our concerns." Here are the receipts.

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MARCH 17, 2026 — CNBC "SQUAWK BOX"
"The last of our concerns right now."
— Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council

The president's top economic advisor was asked about the war's impact on American consumers — gas up nearly a dollar, diesel past $5, groceries climbing. His response: it would hurt consumers, but that's "really the last of our concerns right now."

Source: The Hill · Common Dreams · Washington Examiner

MARCH 13, 2026 — PENTAGON BRIEFING
"It is open for transit should Iran not do that."
— Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, on the Strait of Hormuz

Asked when the Strait of Hormuz — the passage that carries 20% of the world's oil — would reopen, the Defense Secretary said the only problem is that "Iran is shooting at shipping." He added: "Don't need to worry about it."

By that logic, the Korean DMZ is "open" — except for the landmines and the snipers.

The East-West German border was "open" — except for the mines, the guard towers, and the shoot-to-kill orders.

How exactly does a passageway qualify as "open" if someone is actively trying to blow you up for using it?

Sources: CNBC · HuffPost · C-SPAN · Human Events

MARCH 17, 2026 — RESIGNATION LETTER
"Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation."
— Joe Kent, Trump's Director of the National Counterterrorism Center

Trump's own counter-terrorism chief — a decorated Green Beret he appointed and the Senate confirmed — resigned rather than keep supporting a war he called unjustified. He went further in the letter:

"It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."

"This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that you should strike now."

Trump's response to reporters: "I always thought he was weak on security."

Sources: CNBC · NBC News · Snopes (authenticated) · NPR

THEN vs. NOW
"An all-out war with Iran... would make Iraq and Afghanistan look like a picnic."
— Tulsi Gabbard, Fox News, 2020 (while her campaign sold "No War With Iran" T-shirts for $24.99)

That was Gabbard then. Gabbard now is the Director of National Intelligence — the person legally responsible for assessing threats to the United States. Here is what she told the Senate Intelligence Committee on March 18, 2026:

"The only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the president."

That is not what "imminent" means under U.S. or international law. The controlling legal standard — established in 1837 and affirmed by the Nuremberg Tribunal and the International Court of Justice — requires a threat that is "instant, overwhelming, leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation." It has nothing to do with one person's judgment call.

Also notable: Gabbard's written testimony stated Iran had made "no efforts... to try to rebuild their enrichment capability." She did not read that portion aloud. Asked why, she said her "time was running long."

Sources: ABC News · Bloomberg · Al Jazeera · Military.com

$3.79
Gas/gal today
was $2.96
$3,400
Cost per family
if this lasts to Sept
21+
Ships attacked
in the strait
0
Congressional
hearings held

What He Said vs. What He Did

All quotes verified and sourced to public record.

Campaign Trail
"I will immediately bring prices down, starting on Day One."
Bedminster, NJ — Aug 15, 2024
Reality
Gas up 28% in three weeks. Diesel past $5. Oil above $100/barrel.
Campaign Trail
"I'm not gonna start a war. I'm gonna stop wars."
Victory Speech — November 2024
Reality
Strikes in 7+ countries. 6+ U.S. troops dead. 1,300+ killed in Iran. $891M/day.
Campaign Trail
"We will cut energy prices in half within 12 months."
Detroit Rally — Oct 18, 2024
Reality
48 out of 50 states above $3/gal — up from 9 a month ago. Fertilizer prices doubled.
Campaign Trail
"I am the candidate of peace."
Campaign Rally — October 2024
Reality
No congressional authorization. War Powers votes killed on party lines. Zero public hearings.

Explore the Full Story

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Full Interactive Report

Every number, every source, every dollar — the complete breakdown of what this war is costing you.

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Timeline

From campaign promises to war — every major event in chronological order.

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Sources & Methodology

Every claim on this site is sourced. Here's our full citation list and methodology.

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The Epstein Files

They promised full transparency. They reversed at every turn — and a war collapsed coverage just as the most damaging documents surfaced.