Trump has failed to provide the leadership a nation at war needs

President Trump’s first major act as self-appointed president of the Board of Peace was to start a war. This inconsistency defines his bizarro-world second term.  

During his quest for a second term in 2024 he promised to bring prices down on the first day of his second term. He failed to keep his promise and then turned to an attack on Iran, which of course, has increased prices even more. 

Since he advanced against Iran, the economy has retreated. The February jobs report came with a rise in unemployment and the stock market has taken a big hit amidst oil price volatility. Since Trump has junked clean energy projects, and oil continues to drive the economy, food prices will soon go even higher.  

Many people will go hungry, but most hard-working Americans fighting to feed their families will find a way to survive. That means they must work even harder and longer to persevere. Their struggle to make ends meet will take an even bigger bite out of the president’s already anemic job rating.    

Americans historically have rallied behind the commander-in-chief in times of war but that’s clearly not the case with Trump. He has said that it will be a short war — and it had better be, because there’s no reservoir of good will for him to fall back on as casualties mount.  

A new national survey conducted for The Economist by YouGov.com though Monday contains nothing but bad news for Trump. His approval ratings have dived to depths only inhabited by the undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau. Trump’s overall job rating is a net minus-15 points, his score for handling the war against Iran is minus-13 points and his net rating on inflation is minus-29 percent. How low can he go? We may find out soon. 

Americans learned the hard way about long and grueling wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Will the assault against Iran become Iraq 2.0 under Trump 2.0? The second President Bush’s invasion of Iraq eventually cost 4,500 brave U.S. soldiers their lives and U.S. taxpayers $3 trillion. The public has no appetite for a repeat performance. 

So far, the president hasn’t much to show for his abrupt attack. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who flew combat missions during the Gulf War, summed up the nasty problem nicely when he said Monday, “It took Trump 10 days to create an energy crisis reminiscent of the 1970s, replace Ayatollah Khamenei with Ayatollah Khamenei, and weaken our alliances worldwide.”

Trump’s chaotic inconsistency again rears its ugly head. He says it will be a short war, but he has also refused to rule out American boots on the ground. He has also said he’d like to seize the Strait of Hormuz, which would end the Iranian chokehold of oil supplies. Both actions would constitute significant mission creep and lengthen the conflict, antagonizing impatient Americans.

The attack on Iran was a war of choice and not of necessity. Trump choose the time but he did not choose to get his proverbial ducks in a row before he fired the starting pistol.  

He neglected to keep his promise to reboot the economy even though taxpayers are coughing up a billion dollars a day for this Middle Eastern military misadventure. The Dear Leader failed to get America’s NATO allies to join his crusade. His erstwhile buddy, Russian President Vladimir Putin is even reportedly giving Iran guidance on U.S. military targets.

The war has also revived the dangerous specter of domestic terrorism at a time the Department of Homeland Security has a lame duck leader and no budget authorization from Congress for the fiscal year.

Sadly, this commander in chief has not even come close to clarifying his war aims to the public. Is the endgame, an unconditional surrender by Iran followed by U.S. and Israeli military occupation, an end to its nuclear program, cessation of the country’s terrorist activities or will Trump just call off the dogs of war and declare victory in a month after sacrificing our troops and our tax dollars without getting anything accomplished?  

The impatient public wants answers now to these questions and a speedy end to the conflict that it doesn’t understand or support. Trump has failed to provide the leadership that a nation at war deserves.

Brad Bannon is a national Democratic strategist and CEO of Bannon Communications. He hosts the popular progressive podcast on power, politics and policy, Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon. 

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