During his presidential campaign, the American leader swore he could end foreign wars; solve, thanks to the country’s military power, a problem that had resisted seven of his predecessors. Today, things are not adding up: the ceasefire remains precarious, an essential trade route has been paralyzed for several weeks, and the heavyweights of the Iranian regime have been replaced by new radical leaders – all factors that could prolong a conflict that he had claimed he could conclude in six weeks, a deadline that has now passed.
“We are witnessing [military operations] that do not result in victory, and this is directly attributable to the president and how he carries out his functions – lack of attention to detail and lack of planning,” criticizes Kori Schake to the Wall Street Journal, a researcher at the American Enterprise Institute and former member of George W. Bush’s National Security Council.
As witnessed by the spectacular ultimatum from the White House tenant the Tuesday after Easter, if Iran did not reach an agreement within 12 hours, an entire civilization would disappear. In a lengthy investigation, the American newspaper revealed that this message was completely improvised, and had not been discussed with the president’s national security team beforehand. The result: in the United States and around the world, many were seized with fear and confusion about Donald Trump’s intentions. In the background, his top advisers saw this initiative as a way to provoke negotiations in a war that the president desperately wanted to end – a futile and even counterproductive attempt, according to several experts.
Furthermore, just before this announcement, Donald Trump seemed erratic, discussing, alongside the management of the Middle East conflict, the midterm elections with his team or participating in discussions on cryptocurrencies, according to collaborators. His hesitations were also visible when deciding whether or not to send American soldiers to take over Kharg Island, the starting point for 90% of Iranian oil exports. Despite being assured that the mission would be successful and that the takeover of the territory would give the United States access to the strait, the president feared unacceptable American losses. “They would be easy targets,” he reportedly said.
Despite these precautions and buoyed by his “victory” in Venezuela and the execution of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Donald Trump did not gauge the impact of such a conflict on his image – and that of his party. Frustrated by poor polls and lack of external praise, the president thought that a victory against Iran would allow him to reshape the world order. “If we do it well, we save the world,” he reportedly said to close associates, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Today, faced with uncertainty, security concerns at the White House have intensified. In recent weeks, there has been a significant strengthening of security measures. At the president’s luxury property, Mar-a-Lago, in Florida, guests noticed on a clear night in April that all the umbrellas were open on the terrace, supposedly to hinder drone visibility. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also claimed to have seen a suspicious drone near his home at a military complex, prompting security teams to use “unusual” equipment and weapons that some officials had never seen before.
Despite this tense climate, Donald Trump indicated to his advisers that he wanted to address other topics and divert media attention. During a meeting at the Kennedy Center in March, he discussed with some guests the ballroom project he supervises at the White House, showing plans and presenting himself as the mastermind of this project. He also remains very involved in fundraising for the midterm elections: shortly after the start of the conflict in late February, he was already participating in a fundraising event at Mar-a-Lago, refusing to cancel it despite the circumstances.
