The president Donald Trump delivered a speech on the war with Iran this Monday during the White House Easter Egg Roll, with the Easter Bunny —an employee in costume— literally standing beside him as he described military operations in enemy territory.
The scene took place on the south lawn of the presidential residence, during the traditional Easter Monday celebration, and was captured on video that was immediately shared on social media, reported the news portal Independent.
The Israeli journalist Eylon Levy posted the video on X with the comment: "The president of the United States addresses the nation regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran, flanked by the Easter Bunny while describing military operations. We are living in a simulation."
In his speech, Trump described Iran as "very hostile territory" and acknowledged the capability of the adversary: "You don't care when the enemy is weak, but that enemy is strong. Not as strong as a month ago, I can tell you. In fact, right now they are not strong at all, in my opinion, but soon we will find out, right?"
The president announced the rescue of two pilots from an F-15E Strike Eagle shot down in Iranian territory on April 3 by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the first American manned aircraft to be downed on Iranian soil since the onset of the conflict.
Trump explained the complexity of this type of operation: "You go in with 200 people, many fighters and helicopters, and you really have no chance of being shot down. You lose 200 to rescue one. It's a terrible thing, but it's very rare that you can do it."
However, he emphasized that this time the outcome was different: "What we did yesterday is that we rescued not one, but two. We kept the first one a secret, and we managed to maintain that for almost a day, which made it much better."
The second crew member, a weapons systems colonel, hid for over 36 hours in mountainous terrain before being evacuated to Kuwait with minor injuries. The operation involved Black Hawk helicopters, C-130 aircraft, MQ-9 Reaper drones, A-10s, and MC-130Js, with support from the CIA and Israel.
Those two pilots were amazing, brave, and we thank them, said Trump, surrounded by families with children in the festive atmosphere of the event, reported Fox News.
The president also took the opportunity to reiterate the might of the U.S. armed forces: "We have a great army. We have the largest army, the most powerful anywhere in the world. You saw what happened with Venezuela."
Trump also announced a press conference for 1 p.m. in the Oval Office: "We look forward to that moment."
The speech occurs when the conflict between the United States and Iran —which began on February 28, 2026, with Operation Epic Fury, a joint air campaign with Israel— has lasted 37 days and Trump has issued a 48-hour ultimatum for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, closed since March 4, threatening to destroy Iranian civil infrastructure if it does not comply.
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