President Donald Trump’s boasts of having complete control over his war in Iran have fallen apart in spectacular fashion as a new report reveals a chaotic tug-of-war behind the scenes.
Insiders interviewed by Reuters say jostling among policy advisers with contrasting goals goes some distance in explaining Trump’s flip-flop, Jekyll-and-Hyde approach to waging the war.
Rather than calling the shots himself, Trump is apparently making a disastrous attempt to appease everyone all at once, despite the fact that they all have wildly different goals.
The result has been on display for the whole world to see. Since the first bombs fell on Feb. 28, his administration’s messaging has been a tangled mess of contradictory narratives, justifications, and now exit plans.
And that dumpster fire could be explained by his advisers’ drastically different demands, and his efforts to play along with them all.
“He is allowing the hawks to believe the campaign continues, wants markets to believe the war might end soon and his base to believe escalation will be limited,” one unnamed adviser told Reuters.
Economic policy wonks, including some from the Treasury Department and the National Economic Council, along with political advisers like his Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief James Blair, are reportedly urging Trump to focus on domestic fallout from the war.
They fear that rising gas prices could erode public support for the fight, according to three sources who spoke to Reuters. That group is said to be urging the president to declare victory, say the operation is limited, and that it is reaching its end.
But this group has come up against hawks who want to press on against Iran while the U.S. has momentum.
Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tom Cotton, along with conservative commentator Mark Levin, are telling Trump to keep going, arguing that the U.S. must prevent any Iranian attempt to build a nuclear weapon.
Joint strikes with Israel have already killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Hosseini Khamenei, and several other top leaders. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, swiftly replaced him, though Israel has pledged to assassinate him.
The third faction in Trump’s ear is the MAGA crowd, including the likes of political strategist Steve Bannon and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. This group has reportedly been leaning on him to avoid letting the Iran conflict continue for long.
Trump’s return to the White House was in no small part fueled by his so-called “America First” agenda, an isolationist approach focused on addressing issues at home. Trump’s foreign interventions have raised eyebrows over his commitment to that mantra. Vice President JD Vance repeatedly made his opposition to foreign wars clear on the campaign trail, and he has been noticeably quiet since the fighting began.
The outcome of Trump apparently trying to cater to all of these groups is complete uncertainty over what exactly his endgame is, and how long it will take. Meanwhile, the overall death toll has risen to around 2,000, including several U.S. servicemembers, and gas prices have skyrocketed.
At his rally in Kentucky on Wednesday, Trump tried to reassure his base ahead of November midterm elections. At one point, he said, “We won,” and then later said, “We don’t want to leave early, do we? We’ve got to finish the job.”
Speaking to Axios that day, Trump said: “Any time I want it to end, it will end.”
He also said, “The war is going great. We are way ahead of the timetable. We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period.”
Speaking to 60 Minutes on Sunday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that “this is only just the beginning.”
He added, “Oh, we’re very much on track, on plan. We’re not flying a mission accomplished banner–like George W. Bush on an aircraft carrier. We’re not doing that and we haven’t done that.”
In a statement to Reuters about the reported dueling goals behind the scenes, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “This story is based on gossip and speculation from anonymous sources who aren’t even in the room for any discussions with President Trump.
“The President is known for being a good listener and seeking the opinions of many people, but ultimately everyone knows he’s the final decision maker and his own best messenger.
“The President’s entire team is focused on ensuring the objectives of Operation Epic Fury are fully achieved.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for further comment.
