President Donald Trump faced pointed questions Wednesday night about potential Iranian “sleeper cells” inside the United States, responding to concerns raised by Fox News Senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy after the president wrapped up a speech in Ohio and a rally in Kentucky.
Trump spoke with reporters at Joint Base Andrews following the events, where Doocy quickly raised the issue of a rumored Iranian revenge plot that some law enforcement officials are reportedly investigating.
The exchange came as the United States remains engaged in an ongoing war involving Iran, a conflict that has not only reshaped geopolitics abroad but also raised security questions at home.
Doocy began by asking the president about a bulletin circulating among law enforcement agencies regarding a possible Iranian retaliation plan in California. According to the question, the alleged plot could involve launching drones toward the U.S. coast.
“President Trump, what have you heard about this bulletin that some law enforcement has out about a possible Iran revenge plot in California, where there would be some kind of a vote off the door, launching drones towards the coast?” Doocy asked.
Trump responded cautiously, saying the situation is still under investigation and emphasizing that such threats are being monitored.
“It’s being investigated, but you have a lot of things happening and all we can do is take them as they come,” the president said.
While declining to provide specific details about the alleged plot, Trump pivoted to defending the broader war effort. He said the military campaign is being carried out at a high level and claimed foreign leaders have expressed support for the United States’ approach.
“The war itself is being prosecuted as well as anybody has ever seen,” Trump said. “And this is other countries telling me too. Big countries, powerful countries, they said they’ve never seen anything like it.”
Trump also argued that those nations agree with his assessment of Iran, describing it as “an evil country” that has been that way for decades.
But Doocy pressed the president further, shifting the conversation to concerns about possible Iranian sleeper cells inside the United States — a scenario that has fueled speculation as tensions with Tehran escalate.
“And if they try to hit us back, have you been briefed about how many Iran’s sleeper cells there could be inside the U.S. right now?” Doocy asked.
Trump said he had been briefed, but quickly blamed the situation on the immigration policies of his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
“I have been,” Trump replied. “And a lot of people came in through Biden with his stupid open border.”
The president claimed authorities are monitoring many of the individuals believed to be involved.
“But we know where most of them are. We’ve got our eye on all of them, I think,” he said.
Doocy attempted to pin down a clearer estimate, asking whether the number of suspected sleeper cells might be in the dozens.
Trump declined to offer a specific figure, instead returning again to criticism of Biden’s immigration policies.
“They came in through the open border policies of Sleepy Joe Biden, one of the worst, the worst president in the history of our country,” Trump said. “And we’ve got eyes on all them.”
The president concluded by once again defending the conduct of the war itself, describing the military campaign as unprecedented in its effectiveness.
“But the war itself is being prosecuted at a level that nobody’s seen before,” Trump said. “It’s pretty amazing to watch.”
The exchange highlighted the uneasy balance facing the administration as the conflict continues — projecting confidence in the war effort while confronting the reality that conflicts abroad can raise difficult security concerns closer to home.
