CORNERED

Trump’s Aides Reveal New Levels of Erratic Behavior

The president is apparently more unpredictable than ever.

Donald Trump has backed himself into a corner with the Iran war and even his aides admit his behavior is becoming more volatile as a result.

As prices skyrocket and Americans grow increasingly dissatisfied with the war Trump and Israel launched on Feb. 28, the 80-year-old president appears increasingly out of control.

Trump’s aides have described him as even more “erratic” than usual, according to The New York Times. His struggle to find a “face-saving” exit from the conflict has reportedly left him increasingly frustrated and, in turn, more prone to abruptly switching up his stances.

A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

One such instance came Friday, when Trump was questioned about his strategy for ending the Iran war. Despite brokering a so-called ceasefire that collapsed earlier this month, the self-described “peace president” warned that the conflict could escalate.

“There’s a military exit where we just keep going just the way we are, and we can even make it a heavier dose, and it’s knocking out everything they have,” Trump said.

But the president said the “smarter strategy” would be to make a deal, while insisting—as he has for weeks—that Iran wants to negotiate.

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“I just don’t think they’re ready yet,” Trump claimed. “But they do want to make a deal.”

The president also claimed the U.S. was currently negotiating with Iran even as hostilities continued, though that is not a new position. For months, Trump has insisted talks were ongoing, including announcing a memorandum of understanding to continue negotiations just last month.

“I believe they have had enough,” the president said of Iranian leaders in an interview with the Times on June 14.

As Trump continues his back-and-forth, casualties are mounting. Four American service members were killed last week. Army 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii; Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of New York; and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas, died in Jordan during Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of North Carolina, died Sunday in Iraq during the controlled detonation of an Iranian drone.

The death toll now stands at 18, despite a Pentagon website designed to track casualties listing only 14.

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Trump’s war has also come with a hefty fiscal cost. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress this week that the conflict has cost $37.5 billion so far. He then asked lawmakers for another $67 billion to fund operations in the Middle East.

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