President Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on May 27 that he’s not sweating any political fallout from a long-term conflict with Iran. And if Iranian leaders think the November midterm elections will push him into a deal, they’ve got another thing coming.
He warned Iran that dragging things out won’t work. “I don’t care about the midterms. Look at what happened on the night of the 26th — that’s just the warm-up. Everyone understands that.”
Just a day earlier, the candidate Trump backed, Ken Paxton, won the Texas Republican Senate runoff.
On that same day, Trump said he’s confident the US will soon strike a deal to end the conflict.
“We’re not happy with it, but we’ll be happy. Either we get a deal, or we finish the job,” he warned, adding he’s ready to restart the war if demands aren’t met.
Trump also said Iran’s partial restoration of international internet access signals the regime is softening its hardline stance, claiming “their entire economic system has collapsed.”
“All they want is a deal,” Trump said. “I don’t think they have any other choice.”
Before Trump’s Cabinet meeting, Iran’s state TV reported that Iran and the US are negotiating a preliminary memorandum of understanding that would lift America’s “maritime blockade” on Iran in exchange for restoring commercial shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to pre-escalation levels.
The White House called those reports “completely fabricated.”
Reuters noted that growing voter anger over high prices, especially gas prices, is piling political pressure on Republicans. Many expect the GOP will struggle to keep control of the House, and could even lose the Senate. Plus, Trump’s endorsement of scandal-plagued Paxton just stirred up more resentment.
