On Monday, President Donald Trump posted in his trademark capital letters: “WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!”

This is the consistent message from the president from his inauguration forward. On Monday, his press secretary added some detail, but the crucial message remains the same.

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“President Trump has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in response. “Special Envoy Witkoff has sent a detailed and acceptable proposal to the Iranian regime, and it’s in their best interest to accept it. Out of respect for the ongoing deal, the administration will not comment on details of the proposal to the media.”

On May 7, the president spelled it out to me on air:

“It’s very simple,” the president told me. “Yeah, it’s very simple,” he continued. The following could not be more clear: “And I’d much rather make a deal, you know, a really verified deal. We want total verification. We can do that. We have some very brilliant people up at MIT and various other places. We could do that very, very solidly. But I would much prefer a strong, verified deal where we actually blow them up, but blow them up or just de-nuke them. But the other alternative, there are only two alternatives there – blow them up nicely or blow them up viciously. And…No, you’ve got to get them out….You’ve got to get them out. You can’t do it. Can’t do it.”

I keep repeating his words online and to me because the president says the same thing, again and again. He does not leave room for interpretation. He’s very direct. Iran will destroy their enrichment and associated programs, or we and/or the Israelis will do so.

Two weeks ago, I wrote essentially the same column, but since then, there have been various stories in multiple outlets about how Trump may be changing his mind. He hasn’t said that, of course, but there are many in the media who for whatever reason want to introduce ambiguity where there is none. Trump is emphatic and clear in his messaging. But still the stories keep coming that hint that Trump has “round heels” and can be pushed around.

It is easy to suspect the remnants of the “echo chamber” President Barack Obama’s chief speechwriter, Ben Rhodes, built during his eight years in office. Rhodes is the self-announced “Metternich of MSNBC” and the used car salesman for the long-defunct “JCPOA.”

Trump branded the JCPOA the “worst deal in the history of the world,” and he was right. There is no reason to believe Trump or Secretary of State Marco Rubio could be tricked into JCPOA 2.0, but plenty of Obama alumni wish they could.

Whoever is floating the stories of the U.S.-Iran negotiations this week, last week, and last month purport to know details they could not possibly know but which apologists for Iran and Obama are wishing could be true.

Again and again, supporters of Trump and of Israel have to repeat: Iran has a black-or-white choice before it: Blow up the centrifuges and turn over the uranium “nicely,” or it will be done to them “viscously.” It’s a stark choice but a simple one.

US SUBMITS NUCLEAR DEAL PROPOSAL AFTER IRAN INCREASES URANIUM ENRICHMENT

If Trump did “a 180” or would stun his base and cost the GOP the 2026 elections, costing the Republicans control of the House and thus launching impeachments three, four and maybe five. The Democrats only have one playbook. Trump does not want them to open it and that means staying true to the hard line he has drawn.

Be confident in Trump’s resolve. He’s given zero indications of any change or even a hint of a change. But as often as apologists for Iran leak more fiction, it is incumbent on actual reporters to state and re-state the obvious: Iran is on the clock.

Hugh Hewitt is a longtime conservative commentator and author. He hosts the Hugh Hewitt Show on Salem Radio every weekday from 3 to 6 p.m.