Trump has a ‘Midnight Meltdown’ as More U.S. Troops Die

President Donald Trump sparked controversy overnight after declaring it his “great honor” to be killing Iranians during the ongoing war with Iran—just hours before the Pentagon confirmed multiple U.S. service members had died in a military aircraft crash in Iraq.

The president posted the message shortly after midnight on his Truth Social account, boasting about what he described as overwhelming American military dominance in the escalating conflict. His comments came as the war’s financial and human toll continues to climb.

“We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time,” Trump wrote. “Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today.”

He added that after decades of Iranian attacks against civilians around the world, the current military campaign represented a personal moment of pride.

“They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years,” Trump said. “Now I, as the 47th president of the United States, am killing them. What a great honor it is to do so.”

The post immediately drew criticism from political opponents and foreign policy analysts who warned the rhetoric could inflame an already volatile regional war.

Deadly Military Crash Under Investigation

Just hours after Trump’s message went live, U.S. officials confirmed that four of the six crew members aboard a KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft had died after the plane crashed in western Iraq.

The aircraft went down Thursday during a mission supporting American operations in the region. Two crew members survived the crash.

Defense officials say early evidence suggests the crash was not caused by enemy fire, but investigators are still examining the wreckage and flight data.

“We are working to determine exactly what happened,” a U.S. defense official told reporters. “Our immediate focus is supporting the families of the service members involved.”

The identities of the fallen crew members have not yet been released pending notification of relatives.

War Costs Mount at Home and Abroad

The crash comes as the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran continues to widen across the Middle East.

The Pentagon confirmed this week that Trump’s military campaign—dubbed Operation Epic Fury—has already cost American taxpayers more than $11 billion.

At the same time, the conflict has rattled global energy markets. Fighting in and around the Persian Gulf has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints.

Gas prices in the United States have already surged. According to GasBuddy, the national average climbed to roughly $3.65 per gallon this week, up sharply from about $2.82 just a month earlier.

Trump Defends War Effort

Despite the growing costs, Trump insisted the U.S. is winning decisively.

“We are totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran—militarily, economically, and otherwise,” the president wrote in his late-night post.

He also blasted media coverage of the conflict, singling out The New York Times.

“If you read the failing New York Times, you would incorrectly think that we are not winning,” Trump wrote.

The president’s frustration with reporters has been building for days, particularly after journalists pressed the administration about a deadly strike early in the war.

Questions Over Deadly School Strike

The controversy centers on a missile strike that destroyed the Shajarah Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in the Iranian city of Minab during the opening hours of the conflict.

Local authorities reported that at least 175 people—many of them children—were killed.

During a White House press briefing earlier this week, New York Times reporter Shawn McCreesh pressed Trump on who was responsible for the attack.

“You’re the only person in your government saying Iran bombed its own school,” McCreesh told the president.

Trump responded cautiously.

“I just don’t know enough about it,” he said. “I think it’s something that I was told is under investigation.”

Pentagon officials have not publicly confirmed responsibility for the strike.

Old Military Photo Resurfaces

Adding to the online drama, Trump posted a separate message Thursday featuring a vintage photograph of himself as a teenager at the New York Military Academy.

The photo showed an 18-year-old Trump standing beside his parents, Fred and Mary Trump.

“At Military Academy with my parents!” the president wrote.

The nostalgic image quickly reignited debate about Trump’s own military history.

During the Vietnam War era, Trump received five draft deferments—four for college and a fifth after a doctor diagnosed him with bone spurs in his heels.

In 2018, the daughters of the late podiatrist who examined Trump claimed their father issued the diagnosis as a favor to Trump’s father, a wealthy New York real-estate developer.

“It was family lore,” Elysa Braunstein told The New York Times at the time. “Something we would always discuss.”

White House officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the president’s latest remarks.

Meanwhile, U.S. forces remain heavily engaged across the region as the conflict with Iran enters another volatile phase—one that continues to reshape global politics, energy markets, and America’s role in the Middle East.