President Donald Trump has made clear that midterms will not divert him from his war against Iran, even as it continues to escalate and American soldiers die. His stance comes at a perilous moment for Republican lawmakers, who fear rising oil prices and an open-ended war could cost them control of Congress.
Donald Trump says electoral pressure will not alter US military decisions as the Iran conflict escalates
Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday alongside Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Donald Trump brushed aside suggestions that the approaching midterm elections might force a rethink of his Iran strategy. “No, the election — I can’t think about that having to do with this,” Trump said. “I think people are very impressed,” he added.
The president went further, claiming Iran was “probably” attempting to sway the election outcome before insisting such efforts would fail. “They won’t have any impact on me,” he said. Trump’s remarks followed a weekend that saw three US service members killed, capping more than a week of intensifying strikes between the American and Iranian military. The violence has shattered a brief ceasefire and reignited fears of a protracted conflict in the Gulf.
Behind Donald Trump’s rejection of the impact on the midterm election, Republican operatives are sounding alarms. Gasoline prices hit $4.02 on Tuesday, up 16 cents from last week and $1.04 higher than before the war began (via AAA). Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed to a near standstill, choking off an artery that carries much of the world’s oil.
Jason Roe, a Michigan-based Republican strategist, said many in the party quietly supported the earlier ceasefire because it eased pump prices. That patience is wearing thin. “Continuing the back and forth that we’ve been witnessing the last few weeks into November — it is not going to reassure voters that Republicans have a handle on the situation,” Roe said. “It could very well be the reason that we lose,” he added (via Politico).
Donald Trump’s administration maintains that its military approach will ultimately stabilize markets. Yet energy analysts warn the situation is more fragile than the White House suggests.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu for Mandatory.
