8 hours ago
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Two weeks after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, President Donald Trump is increasingly on the defensive politically.
He has grown more frustrated with media coverage and has struggled to articulate a compelling explanation for why he initiated the conflict or how he plans to end it. This has unsettled a public concerned about American casualties, rising oil prices, and falling financial markets. Even some of his supporters are questioning his strategy, and his poll numbers are declining.
Meanwhile, Moscow has benefited from the early stages of the war after Trump eased sanctions on certain Russian oil shipments. This move, combined with rising oil prices, has undermined efforts to limit President Vladimir Putin's ability to finance Russia's war in Ukraine.
Democrats, still reeling from Trump's 2024 election victory, have united in opposition to his Iran policy. With control of Congress at stake in November's midterms, they are using the economic turmoil as evidence that Republicans have failed to deliver on promises to reduce everyday costs.
"I think Democrats are well-positioned for this November and the midterms," said Kelly Dietrich, CEO of the National Democratic Training Committee, which trains party supporters to run for office and staff campaigns. Dietrich added that the past two weeks reveal the Trump administration's lack of long-term planning. "They're flying by the seat of their pants, and the rest of us are paying the price," he said.
Trump Seeks International Support to Secure the Strait of Hormuz
On Saturday, Trump spent hours at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, before attending a closed-door fundraiser for his MAGA Inc. super PAC at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The previous weekend, he also golfed at another South Florida property a day after attending the dignified transfer for six U.S. soldiers killed in the Iran conflict. The death toll has since risen.
Trump has increasingly criticized media coverage of the war, tweeting on Saturday, "Media actually want us to lose the War." Following this, a broadcast regulator threatened to revoke broadcast licenses unless the media "correct course."
For the first time, Trump suggested the U.S. would need international assistance to ensure safe passage for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, where disruptions have severely impacted global energy markets. Iran has vowed to continue attacks on energy infrastructure and maintain its effective closure of the strait as leverage against the U.S. and Israel. Approximately one-fifth of the world's traded oil passes through this waterway.
"Many countries, especially those affected by Iran's attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending warships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe," Trump wrote on Saturday. He added, "this should have always been a team effort." However, it remains unclear whether this multinational effort is imminent or merely hoped for, as Trump also stated, "Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected, will send ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be threatened by Iran."
The White House did not provide further details or clarification on Trump's statement. Britain's defense ministry said Saturday, "We are currently discussing with our allies and partners a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region," without offering specifics.
Trump had initially promised that U.S. naval ships would escort tankers through the strait, but this has yet to occur. "It'll happen soon. Very soon," he insisted while boarding Air Force One for Florida on Friday night.
Questions about the strait continue to cast doubt on Trump's recent claim during a Kentucky rally that "We've won." He said, "You know, you never like to say too early you won. We won. We won the, in the first hour, it was over."
The War's Broad Political Impact
The U.S. Treasury Department announced a 30-day waiver on Russian sanctions this past week to free up Russian oil cargoes stranded at sea, aiming to ease supply shortages caused by the Iran conflict.
Analysts warn that soaring oil prices due to Persian Gulf production disruptions are benefiting the Russian economy. Moscow depends heavily on oil revenue to fund its war in Ukraine, and sanctions had increasingly constrained it.
Some key U.S. allies have criticized the move as empowering Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the easing of sanctions "not the right decision" and said it "certainly does not help peace" because it strengthens Russia's position.
With midterm races heating up, Trump was asked Friday night about his message to voters concerned about high gas prices. "You're going to see a very big decrease in the prices of gasoline, gas, anything having to do with energy, as soon as this is ended," he said.
The longer the conflict continues, the more significant the midterm implications become. Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, suggested on Fox News this past week that if gas and oil prices remain high, "you're going to see a disastrous election" for the GOP.
The Iran war has also divided Trump's "Make America Great Again" base, with some supporting the action and others pointing out that Trump campaigned on ending wars.
Prominent conservative figures, including Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, have sharply criticized Trump. Nevertheless, Trump continues to assert that he created the MAGA movement and that it will follow him on any issue.
The political turmoil has some Democrats predicting midterm gains comparable to the 2018 "blue wave" election during Trump's first term.
"Democrats just have to keep reminding people that he made a promise to bring prices down, and they're still going up," said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon. "And now they're going to go up even more because prices in gasoline can increase prices of everything else, including at the grocery store."
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