Comments on: Did Trump say he doesn’t care about the midterms?

By: neo

neo — Fri, 29 May 2026 22:06:26 +0000

Brian E:

The administration has been making that case. But many others are dedicated to making sure it’s only preaching to the choir and is not amplified.

By: Niketas Choniates

Niketas Choniates — Fri, 29 May 2026 21:33:04 +0000

@AesopFan:the entire media complex in America (and Europe et al.) is dedicated to NOT making that case.

And they WERE dedicated to making it in 2022, when instead of Trump and Iran it was Biden and Russia.

By: AesopFan

AesopFan — Fri, 29 May 2026 21:20:17 +0000

@ Brian E > “If the case is made to the American people that the Trump administration is doing the work that has been delayed by the inaction of previous administrations to secure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program– many Americans will be willing to pay slightly more for their energy”

I agree with your analysis, but the entire media complex in America (and Europe et al.) is dedicated to NOT making that case.

By: Niketas Choniates

Niketas Choniates — Fri, 29 May 2026 21:09:02 +0000

Looking back through old articles online, when gas prices in real terms were more expensive than now back before the 2022 midterms, the legacy media messaging was that Americans broadly supported sanctions on Russia despite resulting higher gas prices, and that it was not fair to blame Biden for them because the price of gas is driven by many factors, including “record profits” for oil companies.

When I think through what’s at stake in the conflict with Iran:

American deaths
Israeli deaths
Iranian deaths
A future where Iran has nuclear weapons
High gas prices
The midterms

I have to say that I think two of those things are not like the others.

Incidentally, I remember that in 2022 the midterms didn’t go too badly for the Dems despite the high gas prices, and that our gracious hostess debunked the conventional wisdom about midterms, two things it seems some of us here have forgotten.

By: Brian E

Brian E — Fri, 29 May 2026 19:36:47 +0000

President Trump is playing the right strategy. The US goal was never regime change. The economic stranglehold will work, given time.
President Trump emphatically said the midterms aren’t going to sway his strategy in Iran.
The vast majority of Americans think Iran having a nuclear weapon or even weapons grade uranium (60% falls into that category) is a serious or critical/existential problem for the US.
By showing that he is trying to leverage our position to force Iran to give up the uranium– 1. demonstrates why it will take some time to get access to the material; 2. using the preferred strategy of diplomacy for a near majority of Americans.

I might add Brent crude has dropped from it’s high of $109 on the 15th to around $93. We are seeing that at the pumps as prices have dropped by 20-30 cents at the pump.

The fact that Qatar is willing to give Iran $12 billion in the form of a loan (anyone expect Iran to ever pay it back?) demonstrates how serious the economic crisis is inside Iran. China could prolong the stranglehold if they decide to “prepay” for oil. How much is China willing to give up cash as opposed to weapons?

If the case is made to the American people that the Trump administration is doing the work that has been delayed by the inaction of previous administrations to secure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program– many Americans will be willing to pay slightly more for their energy– given that once the uranium is retrieve and the strait is opened, prices will fall to levels below pre-conflict.

By: neo

neo — Fri, 29 May 2026 18:38:41 +0000

physicsguy:

Most people here – including me – have indicated impatience for quite some time. So, no, I don’t think people are having a change. The difference between you and most people here is how much the person is giving in to his or her feelings of impatience, not whether the person has them.

By: om

om — Fri, 29 May 2026 15:05:06 +0000

Still impatient it seems.

By: Charles R Harris

Charles R Harris — Fri, 29 May 2026 14:17:55 +0000

@physicsguy

Hinderaker is a paint by the numbers lawyer, he is always mystified by Trump.

By: physicsguy

physicsguy — Fri, 29 May 2026 12:50:50 +0000

Hmmm…. a few days ago many here told me I was being inpatient in regards to my doubts about the constant negotiations. Are you all having a bit of a change?

The article linked by AesopFan by Hinderaker is interesting and makes my point: the ceasefire should never have happened. Again, Sherman/McClellan

By: Richard Aubrey

Richard Aubrey — Fri, 29 May 2026 11:26:00 +0000

Trump can say he doesn’t care. It would be useful if various parties thought that. But having said it does not prevent him from using such influence as he may have which doesn’t publicly unsay what he said.

Thinking back to Viet Nam; Have the parties, institutions, segments of the populations, religious denominations, which opposed our efforts in Viet Nam ever failed to support out enemies in every confrontation, large and small, since?