Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy fact-checked President Donald Trump during the president's appearance on Sean Hannity's program, disputing his claim about the approaching midterm elections. The November 3 vote is the first nationwide election of Trump's current term, with every House seat and roughly a third of the Senate on the ballot alongside competitive state races.

"We have to fact-check the president here, Sean," Doocy said during the segment, continuing: "Because he was telling us for weeks that he did not care about the midterms — Iran was too important. We know that is not true because he is the surrogate for Republicans. He's out almost every night."

Doocy pointed to Trump's extensive campaign schedule, including a planned Friday appearance in New York to back Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman and other GOP candidates facing competitive races, who he said are "having a hard time right now."

The exchange followed a report by The Atlantic that the White House had directed the Pentagon to prepare options for potential military strikes against Iran before the November 3 elections. The report cited two administration officials who said a final decision on launching attacks had not yet been made.

On Thursday, Trump denied the report, stating on Truth Social that the United States would not carry out an attack on Iran before the midterms. "We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump wrote, while maintaining that the blockade against the country would continue.

Doocy acknowledged that it remained unclear how seriously Trump had weighed the military options, or whether his statement was driven by concerns about the upcoming elections.

"We don't know if that is a head fake to get the Iranians on their heels or if it is an acknowledgment that this war is causing a lot of problems for Republicans," Doocy said.

He described how the war is creating difficulties for GOP candidates in districts where voters are struggling with high prices, noting that the cost of living is being "exacerbated by the war." He added that the administration was working to show progress on affordability as Americans began casting early votes.

Doocy expressed doubt, however, that the White House could settle the Iran issue before Election Day. "It doesn't seem like there's gonna be a deal, and it doesn't seem like there's gonna be an annihilation before November 3," he said.

Hannity, a longtime Trump supporter, suggested the president may be deliberately keeping his military intentions vague. "Could it be a head fake? Nothing would surprise me with this president," Hannity said, adding: "He's unpredictable, especially on that issue."

The exchange comes as Republicans confront growing voter discontent over the Iran war and its economic effects, particularly rising gasoline prices, in the lead-up to the elections. With early voting already underway, the remaining days before November 3 leave a short window for the administration to demonstrate the affordability progress it has promised, and the war's economic ripple effects on campaigns nationwide remain an angle worth tracking through Election Day.