As the war in Iran enters its second month, American President Donald Trump is sowing confusion due to his penchant for embellishments, exaggerations, and lies.
Among his contradictions, he claims that the United States is already winning the war but needs to send thousands of additional soldiers to the Middle East. He chastises other countries for not helping Americans before declaring that he doesn’t need them. He threatens to “reduce to ashes” Iranian energy facilities if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, while asserting that the United States is not affected by this.
Leon Panetta, who served under Democratic presidents as Secretary of Defense, CIA Director, and White House Chief of Staff, stated that truth is often the first casualty of armed conflict.
“This is not the first administration to not tell the truth about the war. But this president has made it almost a systematic approach. On all subjects, he lies in one way or another about what is actually happening and broadly describes that everything is fine and we are winning the war,” he said.
Michael Rubin, a historian at the American Enterprise Institute who served as an adviser on Iran and Iraq at the Pentagon from 2002 to 2004, says that Mr. Trump is the first president in recent history to have no rhetorical limits imposed on him.
“This creates quite a lot of confusion,” he said.
Permanent U-turn
For his critics, the president’s style is a sign of a lack of coherent long-term strategy. But for him, these contradictions seem to be the desired outcome, a method that keeps his opponents — and practically everyone else — constantly on edge.
This approach was evident this week, just hours before he announced the second extension of the deadline imposed on Iran to reopen the strait. Asked about what he planned to do regarding this deadline, Donald Trump replied that he did not know and had one day left to make a decision.
“On Trump’s scale, one day, you know what that is, it’s an eternity,” he said, sparking laughter from his ministers.
But investors are not impressed. U.S. markets had their worst week since the start of the war. For some on Capitol Hill, this cavalier attitude is more frustrating than amusing.
Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, laments that Trump “flip-flops and contradicts himself constantly.”
“The administration improvises. How can one believe what the president says?” he asked.
Republican concern is palpable as a two-week break approaches in Washington. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana said his constituents supported what the president had done.
“But most of my constituents are just as, if not more, concerned about the cost of living,” he acknowledged.
Republican Chip Roy, who sits on the House Budget Committee, said his constituents agreed to “blow some stuff up.” He expressed reservations about the prospect of troop engagement on the ground, adding that the administration did not provide enough details during briefings for legislators. He said these sessions only reveal information that is “read in the newspapers.”
Risk of discontent
Republicans support Trump, but there are risks of discontent.
A survey conducted this week by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicates that the president may disappoint his supporters if the United States engages in the type of prolonged Middle East war he promised to avoid.
While 63% of Republicans support airstrikes against Iranian military targets, according to the survey, only 20% favor the deployment of U.S. ground troops.
This reflects the political challenges awaiting Donald Trump, who has not prepared the country for such a large-scale overseas conflict. If the war drags on or escalates, pressure on Republicans could increase before the November elections as their majority in Congress is threatened. Some party members have stated that sending ground troops would be a red line the president should not cross.
The administration will likely also need Congress’ support to secure an additional $200 billion to finance the war. This amount, which Mr. Trump called “welcome,” even as he claimed the war was “coming to an end,” would face a tough vote under any circumstances. But it presents particular risks for budget-conscious Republicans in this election year.
