“Fox and Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade admitted during a podcast appearance on Monday that President Donald Trump was keenly aware of the unpopularity of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran.

“He said, ‘I realize the war is not that popular. I also realize it’s necessary,’” Kilmeade said on the “Kennedy Saves the World” podcast.

Polls have consistently shown that a majority of Americans do not favor military action in Iran. One recent poll found that 69% of Americans — including four in 10 Republicans – think Trump has not “clearly explained the goals of U.S. military involvement in Iran.”

Kilmeade said the interaction with the president was prompted by a report from The New York Times last week, which said Trump had walked back a plan to escalate the war further due to concerns over the U.S.’s missile stockpile. The Fox News host said Trump claimed the report wasn’t true and that the stockpile had “nothing to do” with pausing strikes on Iran.

“We’re fine” on weapons, Kilmeade said Trump told him, adding that the president said other Gulf nations were “not thrilled with a major attack right now.”

On Tuesday, the U.S. military said it had thwarted a barrage of missile attacks on U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East, ending a brief pause in fighting.

“All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness,” U.S. Central Command wrote on social media.

Watch Kilmeade’s appearance on the “Kennedy Saves the World” podcast here:

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