It was his war of choice, judged now by the ballot box choices of others. A president elected on the promises of no new wars and bringing costs down, today nursing an electoral bloody nose having failed on both accounts. The war on Iran has cost President Donald Trump the midterms, the soaring cost of living crisis it created alienating voters. The Iranian government has lost no time in pointing out the consequence of his folly. The speaker of Iran’s parliament wrote on social media: "Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message."
But what does this drubbing mean for further military action? At this point nothing definitive. The soaring cost of living crisis created by the Iran war has cost Trump the midterms Credit: AP Even in the past few hours the president has offered two opposing positions as to whether he will resume substantive strikes on Iran. In a call to the Financial Times he said, “I’m ready, we’re ready. We’re locked and loaded if we need to go, but there may be no reason for it.”
Later speaking to Fox and Friends he said: "If we have to do something large... a lot of people would like to do the heavy hit." US midterms: Donald Trump a 'lame duck' as Democrats win House and Senate The Minab school attack has scarred Iran - and it will not be forgiven "We have not yet finished the mission in Iran," he said. Trump did not seek nor need Congress’s approval for any of his military adventurism so far - and he does not need it now.
Will this be a humbling moment of pause and reflection or a moment of public humiliation which needs to be distracted from? A wounded animal is a dangerous one. It’s too early for the world to exhale yet. Subscribe for free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning. Have you heard our podcast Talking Politics? Tom and Robert dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda in every episode…
ITV News asks whether the midterms make renewed US strikes on Iran more likely, but never mentions the US strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island that other outlets reported hours before the vote. It also calls Trump's war 'military adventurism' in its own voice.
Leaves out what changes the picture
Minor
“renewed strikes on Iran”
Why this matters
The headline's words "renewed strikes" frame US strikes on Iran as something that has stopped and might start again.
The impression it gives
The US is not currently striking Iran, and the question is whether it will begin again after the midterms.
The context
Other outlets reported that the US struck Iran's Qeshm Island on the Monday night before the vote, the latest of several strikes over recent weeks. The article never mentions them.
“whether he will resume substantive strikes on Iran”
Why this matters
The words "resume substantive strikes" present Trump's choice as one about restarting a halted campaign.
The impression it gives
US military action against Iran is on hold while Trump makes up his mind.
The context
The US carried out strikes on Qeshm Island hours before the vote, which the White House had not announced. A reader of this article is never told that strikes were going on while Trump was saying he might resume them.