Trump’s entered a new phase, the unmaking of his presidency

August 3, 2026 — 9:07am

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At this moment in Donald Trump’s second term, as he weighs new talks with Iran against massive new strikes, Trump has entered a new phase: the unmaking of his presidency. Although he wages virtually absolute power as president to achieve his goals, Trump is flailing and failing.

The war of choice Trump promised would be over in a few weeks is now in its sixth month with no end in sight. Trump is trapped. Last week, he told his cabinet, “Well, they [Iran] always want to talk, but they break their words so often … All they do is make me angry.”

Trump also told his cabinet that he wants Iran to surrender. “We will be hitting them very hard. And you know at some point, they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it any more’.”

Trump suspended that threat over the weekend. He now sees “agreed perimeters” of a deal. “This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat,” he wrote on social media. But Trump has signalled – again – his readiness to blast his way out of this war with the brutal campaign he threatened in April to end Iran’s civilisation.

On February 28, Trump believed he could triumph – quickly – with staggering force to break Iran. Addressing his nation, Trump was clear. “The United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening........

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