Trump says US spies on China, Russia ‘even better’ as he closes midterm push on Iran, oil prices

President Donald Trump defended his handling of the Iran war, claimed US intelligence outperforms China and Russia, and insisted inflation and oil prices were declining as he concluded his midterm campaign rallies in Iowa and Kansas ahead of Tuesday’s elections

Washington: President Donald Trump closed his midterm campaign on Sunday (local time) by telling supporters that the United States spies on China and Russia “even better” than they spy on America, while defending the war with Iran and claiming inflation and oil prices were falling.

Speaking at his rally in Dubuque, Iowa, Trump brushed aside concerns about Chinese and Russian espionage. “Somebody said, China’s spying on us, sir. I said, yeah, and we’re spying on them, too. Don’t worry about it,” he said. “China, Russia, they’re spying on us, sir. I said, that’s true. And we’re doing it to them also. But we do it even better. So don’t worry about it,” he said.

Trump said Iran had been left without military capacity or anyone to negotiate with. “We didn’t start it. We’re finishing it. We’re beating the crap out of them,” he said. “They have no radar. They have no anti-aircraft weaponry. They have no leaders,” Trump said. “We might have gotten a little far with the leaders. There’s nobody to talk to. I’m trying to find somebody to talk to. Nobody wants to be president.”

Trump spoke for just over two hours in Dubuque, before flying to Salina, Kansas, for the last rally of his midterm campaign. At the Salina rally, Trump returned to the economy. “Your inflation for the last three months is 1.7 per cent way down. I inherited high prices from sleepy Joe Biden. I didn’t cause it,” he said.

“I stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon,” he said, adding that “the oil is much lower than it was for Biden, much lower than it was for Barack Hussein Obama.” “When that war is over, it’s going to come plunging,” Trump said, describing higher fuel prices as “a very small price to pay for the security of this country and for the world.” Americans vote on Tuesday, with control of the House and the Senate at stake.