A video authentically shows U.S. President Donald Trump in 1987 stating that the U.S. ought to “go in” and seize Iran’s oil supply.
Following the outbreak of the Iran conflict in late February 2026, social media users widely circulated a historical video featuring Donald Trump from 1987, in which he seemingly argued for military intervention to take control of the Middle Eastern nation’s petroleum resources.
In the vintage footage, Trump addresses Iran by stating, “You take their oil. That’s what I’d do,” and adds, “You go in.” When journalist Barbara Walters questions his strategy by asking, “Would you take a chance in a war?”, Trump contends that conflict is inevitable regardless of U.S. action, telling her, “You’re going to have a war. … You’re going to have a war by being weak.”
The clip was shared across multiple platforms, including Bluesky, Facebook, and X.
Ultimately, verification confirms that the decades-old footage is entirely genuine and was not generated using artificial intelligence or digital manipulation. Trump genuinely voiced support for entering Iran during a 1987 interview, declaring, “You take the oil. That’s what I’d do.”
Trump shared the recording on Truth Social on March 30. While the version in his post began midway with the phrase “because I’m running for the presidency,” an extended version of the recording reveals his complete opening statement: “I’m not here today because I’m running for the presidency.”
The archival footage is derived from a profile on Trump hosted by Barbara Walters for an episode of ABC’s “20/20.” Historical newspaper databases point to a broadcast date of December 11, 1987.
Several days after resharing the vintage clip, on April 3, Trump reiterated a nearly identical perspective on Truth Social:
With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE. IT WOULD BE A “GUSHER” FOR THE WORLD??? President DONALD J. TRUMP
(Donald Trump via Truth Social)
Transcript of Trump’s 1987 remarks on Iran
The extended “20/20” segment is accessible via Vimeo and YouTube, with the discussion regarding Iran appearing shortly after the two-minute mark.
The longer recording contains further context, including commentary from London Times New York correspondent Charles Bremner:
WALTERS (voice-over): But does Donald Trump want to be president?
TRUMP (speaking to the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Rotary Club): I’m not here today because I’m running for the presidency. I’m here because I’m personally tired of seeing this great country of ours being ripped off.
WALTERS (voice-over): But as far as Trump is concerned, our allies are only part of the problem. The real culprit is Iran.
TRUMP (speaking to the Rotary Club): Why couldn’t we go in and take over some of their oil, which is along the sea?
WALTERS (speaking to Trump): How would you do that? Would you send in the Marines? Would you take a chance in a war?
TRUMP: Let ’em have Iran. You take their oil. That’s what I’d do.
WALTERS: But how?
TRUMP: How?
WALTERS: I mean, do we want a war? What do you mean, we take their oil?
TRUMP: You go in… you go in…
WALTERS: How do we go in?
TRUMP: You’re going to have a war. Barbara… You’re going to have a war by being weak.
WALTERS: OK. How do we go in? What do we do?
TRUMP: Excuse me.
WALTERS: Yeah.
TRUMP: You’re going to have a war, and it’s going to start in the Middle East.
WALTERS: What if the Soviet Union said, “You do this to Iran, we’re going to come in?”
TRUMP: I don’t believe they’d do it. The next time Iran attacks this country, go in and grab one of their big oil installations, and I mean, grab it and keep it, and get back your losses, because this country has lost plenty because of Iran.
BREMNER (speaking to off-camera interviewer): Donald Trump seems to have a Clint Eastwood approach to foreign policy.
WALTERS (voice-over): Charles Bremner is the New York correspondent for the London Times. He wrote this article that appeared in the Times the week following Trump’s New Hampshire speech.
BREMNER: He recommended strikes at Iranian oil fields. This obviously would create a great chain reaction across the area if it ever took place. And obviously, European allies would be appalled by any such behavior.
During the same period in September 1987, Trump also purchased full-page newspaper advertisements in outlets like The New York Times under the headline, “There’s nothing wrong with America’s Foreign Defense Policy that a little backbone can’t cure.” The open letter focused on why the U.S. should halt funding the defense of affluent nations, though it did not specifically reference Iran.