Donald Trump avoided answering a question about Iranians’ access to food and water during a live call on Fox News’ The Five on 26 March. Instead of addressing the issue directly, the US president reflected on a past lunch with presenter Dana Perino and complimented her appearance, drawing attention away from the topic of humanitarian conditions amid the ongoing conflict.
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Perino had asked whether civilians in Iran had sufficient access to basic necessities, describing the situation as “upsetting”. Trump initially responded by recalling a meeting at Trump Tower “years ago”, before commenting that Perino had “not changed” and suggesting she might now be “even better looking”. The remarks prompted laughter from the programme’s co-hosts, with Perino responding light-heartedly.
Trump later returned briefly to the subject but did not provide a clear answer regarding conditions in Iran, where the conflict has resulted in significant casualties since US-Israeli strikes began in late February. The exchange formed part of a broader discussion on the war, during which concerns were raised about the humanitarian impact on civilians.
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The comments are the latest in a series of appearance-related remarks made by Trump towards female journalists in recent months. Previous incidents have involved criticism and personal insults directed at reporters from several major news organisations, contributing to ongoing scrutiny of his interactions with members of the press.
