TIME spent 75 minutes with Trump in the Oval Office, and he made clear the war may get bigger before it ends:
“With Iran, I don’t think you could ever have peace.”
The biggest takeaways:
– Trump says he may ramp up the bombing after the midterms if there’s no deal, in a war first pitched as four to six weeks that has now killed 19 Americans and wounded more than 800.
– In April he reportedly cursed at Hegseth over a report that more than 1,200 Patriot interceptors had been fired and backfilled from Asia and Europe, and Hegseth called it fake news even though it came from the Pentagon’s own inspector general. Hegseth’s spokesperson denies the exchange.
– Trump admits some munitions are running low and says Raytheon and Lockheed are building four to six new plants.
– His approval sits at 32% in Reuters/Ipsos, the lowest of his career, and only 25% say his policies improved the economy, with mortgage rates at 7.5%. He points to low unemployment, record stocks and strong GDP.
– Republicans are bracing to lose the House and maybe the Senate, and Trump expects investigations: “They’ll probably go after me, and I’ll go after them.” He wouldn’t rule out a national emergency or the Insurrection Act around the midterms.
– He says he regrets appointing Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett, hinted at pre-emptive pardons for aides, and has reportedly mused about FIRING Kash Patel.
– His relationship with Netanyahu has soured, he won’t endorse him, and he left the door open to his challenger Gadi Eisenkot.
– Asked what he’ll miss most when it’s over: “This beautiful room.”
Everything in this story now runs through one window: Trump is betting he can force Iran to sign before the troops, the interceptors and the voters run out, and whichever arrives first after November, Tehran’s signature or a Democratic subpoena, will decide what the rest of his term looks like. Buckle up folks.
Source: TIME / Writer: Daniel
