PHAROS
STAR
Dashboard →
HIGHPOLITICALVERIFIED

Trump: "the big wave hasn't even happened yet" — doesn't rule out boots on ground in Iran

·Washington D.C.

President Trump gave interviews to CNN and the New York Post, signaling major escalation ahead. To CNN: "We're knocking the crap out of them... the big wave hasn't even happened yet." He said the operation was "a little ahead of schedule." To the New York Post: "I don't have the yips with respect to boots on the ground — like every president says, 'There will be no boots on the ground.' I don't say it." He left open the possibility of sending ground troops into Iran "if they were necessary." He also said he is not swayed by polling showing disapproval of the strikes.

Trump gave two significant interviews on Monday, March 2: CNN interview: • "We're knocking the crap out of them." • "The big wave hasn't even happened yet." • "A little ahead of schedule." • Left open possibility of ground troops "if they were necessary." • Said he's not swayed by polling showing disapproval of strikes. New York Post interview: • "I don't have the yips with respect to boots on the ground — like every president says, 'There will be no boots on the ground.' I don't say it." • This is the most explicit signal yet that a ground invasion of Iran is being considered. Analysis: • "The big wave hasn't even happened yet" — combined with Hegseth's "this work is just beginning" and Caine's similar language — suggests a significant escalation is planned in the coming days. • The boots on ground comment directly contradicts Hegseth's earlier statement that there are currently no American troops in Iran, but leaves the door open for future deployment. • Trump's dismissal of disapproval polling suggests he is committed to the operation regardless of domestic opposition. • NBC, Guardian, NYMag all led with the "boots on the ground" headline.
trumpboots-on-groundescalationbig-waveground-invasionday-3

Actor responses

President TrumpSUPPORTINGSTATEMENT

The big wave hasn't even happened yet. I don't have the yips with respect to boots on the ground.

Sources

T1CNN interview95% reliability
T2New York Post85% reliability
T1NYT live updates97% reliability
T1Guardian live blog95% reliability
T1NBC News95% reliability

Related signals (2)

Donald J. Trump@@realDonaldTrumpHIGH

The big wave hasn't even happened yet. We're just getting started. Iran thought they could hide behind negotiations. Those days are OVER. I won't rule out anything — we have the world's greatest military and we are going to USE IT.

2026-03-02 20:00 UTC
395.0K likes152.0K RT54.0M views
PHAROS NOTETrump's 'big wave hasn't happened yet' — signals Day 3 not peak of campaign. Major psychological warfare statement. Markets react negatively.
Donald J. Trump (Truth Social → X screenshot)@@realDonaldTrumpBREAKING

[Multiple interviews screenshotted to X] CNN: "We're knocking the crap out of them. The big wave hasn't even happened yet. A little ahead of schedule." New York Post: "I don't have the yips with respect to boots on the ground — like every president says, 'There will be no boots on the ground.' I don't say it." When asked if ground troops could be sent to Iran: "If they were necessary." Said he's not swayed by polling showing disapproval of the strikes.

2026-03-02 14:45 UTC
2.1M likes934.0K RT138.0M views
PHAROS NOTE⚠️ CRITICAL ESCALATION SIGNAL. "The big wave hasn't even happened yet" means the opening 57 hours — which included 1,000+ targets, 48 leaders killed, 9 warships sunk, and nuclear sites destroyed — was NOT the main event. Combined with "boots on the ground" language, this suggests a ground invasion of Iran is actively being considered. The most alarming Trump statement since the operation began.