Trump in ‘revenge mode,’ sees few options beyond continuing strikes, official says
During a recent Oval Office meeting, Trump launched into a profanity-laced tirade against Iranian leaders, calling them “scumbags” and “lunatics,” a person who heard the comments told The Journal. The president has grown increasingly skeptical that diplomacy can produce a lasting settlement, the senior official said, adding that Trump now believes only military force works against Tehran and has entered “revenge mode.”
The war’s domestic toll is deepening the White House’s anxiety. More than a dozen American service members have been killed, and fuel prices have climbed, according to the report. Some top aides, they added, now worry that the conflict is consuming Trump’s presidency and eroding Republicans’ already-dim hopes in November’s midterm elections.
Trump had tried repeatedly to wind down the fighting. He announced a ceasefire in April after threatening to end Iran’s “whole civilization,” and in June he declared that the U.S. and Iran had signed a memorandum of understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Each lull quickly collapsed. Last week Houthi militants fired on two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, sending oil prices soaring. Trump responded by threatening to unleash a “major military punishment” against Iran if the attacks continued.
“The United States signed an MOU with Iran and they broke it, shot at commercial ships, and killed American soldiers,” Leavitt said. “President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur. She added that Iran would pay for its behavior and “continue to pay until they come to the table in what President Trump deems a meaningful way.”
With negotiations at a standstill, the administration is moving more forces, medics, and weaponry to the Middle East to give Trump more muscular military options. The Journal reported that Iran has weathered previous waves of airstrikes, and a prolonged American campaign risks further eroding munitions stocks and public support.
Trump’s frustration has also spread to his closest partner in the fight. The president has told aides that he does not want to speak or meet with Netanyahu, the senior official said. Israeli officials have sought to arrange a meeting around the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham next week, but the plans remain uncertain.
The war has imposed a personal security burden as well. Intelligence agencies have warned some top aides that Iran is seeking to kill them and have advised them to stop taking car services, people familiar with the matter said. While in Turkey for a leaders’ summit, Trump was briefed on an Iranian plot against him; although some U.S. officials deemed the intelligence not credible, the threat was one factor in his decision to fly an older model of Air Force One out of the country. The president was furious when news of the aircraft switch leaked and has ordered aides to turn over their phones as his team hunts for the source.
Inside the White House, aides are trying to pivot attention to the economy. Trump attended the dignified transfer of four service members killed in the Middle East and then traveled to Georgia to promote new savings accounts and claim that prices were “coming down very rapidly.” He has also told advisers to pressure oil companies to cut gasoline prices, arguing the industry owes him for past favors, the Journal reported.
Longtime allies are voicing concerns publicly. Fox News host Laura Ingraham warned that the “clock is ticking” toward the midterms, while former Trump strategist Steve Bannon said, “Netanyahu has led us into a horrible conflict filled with lies. People can see with their own eyes what’s going on.”
Privately, Trump has insisted that Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon and believes an aggressive bombing campaign can break the Iranian regime’s will, a person familiar with his views said. House Foreign Affairs Committee member Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, said the shift was clear: “I believe he thinks he gave peace a chance. He’s going back to Plan A, which is the military operation.”