Senior White House official blows up Trump’s 'boots on the ground' messaging

In an early March interview with the New York Post, U.S. President Donald Trump didn't rule out of the possibility of using ground forces in his war with Iran but indicated that it was unlikely. Trump commented, "Probably don't need them," adding that he didn't see any indication that they "were necessary."

But now, two senior Trump Administration officials — both interviewed by Axios on condition of anonymity — are contradicting that early March messaging.

In an article published on March 20, one of them told Axios, "We've always had boots on the ground in conflicts under every president, including Trump. I know this is a fixation in the media, and I get the politics, but the president is going to do what's right."

The other said that a ground invasion of Kharg Island in the Middle East is a strong possibility in order to stop Iran from blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway vital to the flow of oil.

That official told Axios, "He wants Hormuz open. If he has to take Kharg Island to make it happen, that's going to happen. If he decides to have a coastal invasion, that's going to happen. But that decision hasn't been made."

In a March 20 post on X, formerly Twitter, journalist Aaron Blake — now with CNN and formerly with the Washington Post — noted Axios' reporting and said of the Trump Administration's "boots on the ground" messaging, "If this was always a likelihood, that's not how it was billed. Trump told the New York Post on March 2 that boots on the ground was a 'probably don't need them' situation."

According to retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montomgery, a U.S. invasion of Kharg Island would bring significant risks.

Montgomery told Axios, "If we seize Kharg Island, they're going to turn off the spigot on the other end. It's not like we control their oil production."

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