Trump's Political Instincts Falter as War, Prices Weigh on GOP
Critics say the president once famed for reading public opinion now seems tone-deaf on the Iran war and cost of living ahead of the midterms.
Donald Trump, once hailed even by opponents as a political savant, is facing questions about whether he has lost his feel for public opinion as Republicans brace for the November midterms.
The president is mired in an unpopular war in Iran, focused on Washington construction projects, and searching for a new press secretary after his previous one quit. Conservative author Charlie Sykes said Trump "seems tone-deaf on issues like the cost of living, the war, and the optics of gilding everything in sight."
Trump campaigned on promises to lower prices and avoid foreign wars, but the opposite has occurred. Grocery prices in U.S. cities have risen 33% since early 2019, according to government figures, and gas prices are at a record high for this time of year, partly because of the war in Iran. The conflict is costing taxpayers an estimated $1 billion a day, according to the article.
It also emerged this week that Trump secretly swapped planes and hid in a catering truck after a NATO summit in Turkey because of a possible Iranian assassination plot, despite his claims of having destroyed Iran's military capabilities.
Political commentator Kurt Bardella said Republicans "were against endless conflicts in the Middle East and they started a conflict in the Middle East without an exit strategy."
Meanwhile, Trump has spent significant time on construction projects in Washington, including a White House ballroom and helipad, a triumphal arch, and a makeover of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. A new book by New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan reports Trump devotes 70% of his mental energy to such projects, describing him showing them pictures of maple trees during the 17th day of the Iran war.
Former Republican communications director Tara Setmayer said Trump has long slapped his name on buildings and failed ventures like Trump Steaks and Trump University, adding that Republicans have enabled his behavior "to their own detriment."
A Quinnipiac University poll released last month showed Trump's approval rating at an all-time low of 32%, with 58% disapproval, as Republicans privately worry about losing the House and possibly the Senate.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.
