3 minutes of readingMarch 7, 2026 11:59 am IST
At the close of a White House roundtable on college athletics on Friday, President Donald Trump said he would answer a couple of questions and invited Fox News reporter Peter Doocy to speak. Doocy referred to reports from The Washington Post and Fox News that suggested Russia could be sharing intelligence with Iran that could help Tehran target U.S. assets in potential retaliatory strikes.
“Thank you, President Trump,” Doocy began, adding that it appeared the Russians might now be helping Iran attack Americans.
Trump interrupted, joking that any potential Russian involvement in the conflict sparked by the United States and Israel was “an easy problem compared to what we’re doing here,” referring to the ongoing discussion about possible changes to college sports.
After the comment sparked laughter from people in the room, Trump criticized the journalist for raising the issue.
“I respect you a lot. You’ve always been very kind to me,” Trump told Doocy. “But honestly, it’s a stupid question right now. We’re talking about something else.”
Earlier on Friday, the Associated Press reported that Moscow may have provided Tehran with intelligence that could allow it to attack US warships, aircraft and other assets in the region. The report cited two officials familiar with US intelligence assessments. Russian President Vladimir Putin had met with Trump last year for talks related to ending the war in Ukraine.
Moments later during the event, Trump pointed at Doocy again and said he would give him another chance to ask a question, noting that the previous one had been “bad.”
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“There is no doubt outside of college sports”
When the reporter asked if he could raise an issue unrelated to college sports, Trump declined. Doocy then questioned why the administration was holding a sports-focused event while major global events were taking place.
Trump briefly commented on the situation involving Iran, but avoided addressing the earlier question about Russia’s role.
“In Iran, we are doing very well,” Trump said. “Someone asked me how I would rate it from zero to ten. I told them I would give it a 12 to 15.”
Since launching military action against Iran alongside Israel from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last Saturday, Trump has largely dodged questions from reporters.
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When he returned to the White House the next day, the president ignored shouted questions about Iran as he paused in the paved Rose Garden to look at the newly installed statues of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.
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