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War of choice and polling
A Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee release says 67% of Americans believe Donald Trump’s war of choice in Iran has hurt the U.S., and it frames the issue as making “gas and groceries even more expensive.”
“Last week, it was reported that US President Donald Trump placed massive attacks on Iran on hold after a meeting with advisers at the White House”
The same DCCC text says Trump’s approval rating has “tanked to his all-time low of 34%,” and it adds that within his own party his approval rating has hit “78%.”
The DCCC also quotes its spokesperson Justin Chermol saying, “The American people are demanding change in Washington.”
In parallel, Al Jazeera reports that nearly 70 percent of Americans oppose the war, and it says domestic political pressure on Trump and the Republican Party over rising economic costs is “fierce.”
Options on Iran and constraints
Al Jazeera says Trump placed massive attacks on Iran on hold after a meeting with advisers at the White House, and it links the pause to domestic political pressure over rising economic costs.
The outlet lays out multiple military options, including ramping up air and missile strikes, and it warns that if the list of military targets has been exhausted, expanding the aerial campaign would mean attacking largely civilian infrastructure.
Al Jazeera also describes a ground invasion as constrained by the forces currently deployed in the region, saying a Marine Expeditionary Unit “numbers about 2,500 marines.”
In the same report, it says even 150,000 troops may not be enough to secure control of the Strait of Hormuz along the Iranian coast, citing retired US Army General Barry McCaffery.
Politics, rhetoric, and elections
As the U.S. midterm elections approach, Entekhab’s article says Trump is seeking a fresh way to divert attention away from the war against Iran while also avoiding appearing defeated.
It reports that Trump revived Cold War-era discourse about warning Americans about the “communist threat” and linking Democratic rivals to socialism and left-wing extremism.
The piece quotes Jamelle Bouie and David French discussing whether the tactic can change voters’ orientations, with Bouie arguing the real aim is to link Democrats with a frightening image in voters’ minds.
It also says French believes Trump has substantial political and media power to turn limited issues into broad national concerns, while the authors connect the political tactic to Trump’s stance in the war in Iran.
