Trump denies Israel pulled U.S. into war after Rubio remarks draw scrutiny

Asked at the White House on Tuesday if Israel forced his hand to launch the strikes, President Donald Trump said, “No, I might’ve forced their hand.” A day earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.” The remarks drew major scrutiny and criticism, even from some on the right who regularly side with Trump.