SerpApi.Org
Fox News host Laura Ingraham urged President Donald Trump to find an exit from the war with Iran before the November midterm elections, warning on her program that the conflict has become a political liability for Republicans.
On The Ingraham Angle, the host said time was running out for Trump to end the war, noting the midterms are just over 100 days away. She cited a Washington Post/Ipsos poll showing 69 percent of Americans disapprove of the administration’s handling of the conflict and argued Republicans cannot allow it to become an endless distraction if they hope to win in November.
Hours earlier on Special Report, fellow Fox News host Brit Hume said the war had put Trump and Republicans, by extension, in a “tough spot.” He noted Trump campaigned on avoiding prolonged foreign conflicts but now finds himself in one with no clear end in sight.
Mounting American casualties
The warnings from Fox News hosts came as the war entered its fifth month. The U.S. military carried out strikes on Iran for a 10th consecutive night after Iranian attacks on a U.S. base in Jordan killed two active-duty U.S. Army soldiers over the July 18-19 weekend. A third service member was killed in Iraq while disposing of an Iranian drone.
Officials say at least 17 U.S. troops have died since the war began on February 28, when the United States joined Israel in launching strikes on Iranian military and government targets.
President Trump vowed retaliation. A U.S. official told CNN that Trump would make Iran pay for the recent losses and that intensified strikes would continue until the president decided otherwise. The official added the administration remains focused on Iran’s alleged violations of its memorandum of understanding with Washington.
Strait of Hormuz standoff
The renewed fighting followed the collapse of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, prompting Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz again and the United States to reimpose its naval blockade of Iranian vessels.
The blockade, first imposed on April 13, has cost Iran hundreds of millions of dollars a day in lost oil revenue, according to U.S. officials. Iran, however, has continued attacking commercial vessels and coalition targets in and around the Strait.
As the conflict intensified, the national average price of gasoline climbed back to about $4 a gallon, according to The Associated Press.
Trump stumbles over war’s timeline
The concerns voiced by Fox News hosts followed an awkward exchange between Trump and reporters.
After arriving at Joint Base Andrews aboard Air Force One on July 19, following the World Cup final in New Jersey, Trump was asked why the conflict had stretched to nearly five months after he initially predicted it would last four or five weeks.
Trump replied that the mission had expanded beyond its original scope, saying the United States had shifted from limiting Iran’s capabilities to ensuring it could never obtain a nuclear missile. He then attempted to outline a revised timeline, mentioning “a week-and-a-half” or “two weeks,” before trailing off, thanking reporters and walking toward Marine One.
