Trump continues to open the fronts from Iran to the US despite his declining popularity and narrow party options.
Afrasianet - Saja Yasser - The Iran war is overshadowing Donald Trump's second term, but it is just one of many battles the US president is insisting on continuing despite the growing political and judicial cost. From war and tariffs to the Federal Reserve, Western coverage paints a picture of a president who refuses to back down, even as his party's options narrow ahead of the midterm elections.
Axios describes the scene as "quicksand" for Trump, saying that some longtime insiders in his circle fear that he is stuck in a war he shouldn't have fought, fees he shouldn't have imposed, and obsessed with projects that don't engage voters. He notes that his support dropped to 32 percent in a Quinnipiac University poll, and that 68 percent of voters believe he is not focused enough on their problems.
1. Iran War
Axios puts the Iran war at the center of Trump's political predicament, along with tariffs and fraud projects, saying the three files are eating up a lot of his time and attention, even though they are unpopular in the polls. A source familiar with the president's inner circle says the war is frustrating the Republican base as the party tries to prepare for the November battle.
2. Battle of the Federalists
The Financial Times reports that Trump has reopened his battle with Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, threatening to fire her about a month after the Supreme Court's decision blocked his previous attempt to impeach her. According to the newspaper, the White House gave Cook 21 days to respond to accusations related to mortgage statements, charges he denies and has not been convicted of.
The renewed pressure on Cook is reviving concerns about the independence of the world's most important central bank, in light of Trump's previous attacks on former Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell for his refusal to cut the cost of borrowing. Cook's lawyer is quoted as saying the accusations were "baseless" and that the action was a new attempt to interfere with the Fed's independence.
3. Customs duties
In Commerce, The Hill is watching as Trump continues to search for alternative legal doors after the Supreme Court overturned his "Liberation Day" fee imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. After a temporary path limited to 150 days, the administration returned with new global fees, this time based on forced labor abuses.
The new tariffs were imposed under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act on more than 60 economies, at rates ranging from 10 percent to 12.5 percent. Despite legal challenges, experts say this path may be more difficult to bring down than previous administration's attempts.
4. Citizenship by birth
Trump is not leaving his fight against birthright citizenship, despite the Supreme Court's decision that overturned an executive order he signed on the first day of his term aimed at ending that automatic right, signing two new orders that seek to restrict him in a language the administration says overrides the court's ruling.
One of the orders expands the categories that do not qualify for automatic citizenship, including those who are in the country illegally, members of "foreign terrorist organizations" and the children of diplomats, while the other targets what the administration calls "birth tourism." The new orders are likely to open the door to other court battles.
5. Voting Act
On the election dossier, Axios says Trump is pouring political capital into the "Save America" project, even though Republicans have repeatedly told him he has no realistic path in the Senate; the party does not have 60 votes to bypass the Democratic filibuster, nor 51 votes to repeal it.
The bill requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote, showing a photo ID when voting, and places restrictions on mail-in voting. With the bill failing more than once, Trump is calling for an end to the shutdown, while Republican Majority Leader John Thune is reiterating that votes are not available to change the House rules.
6. Wind Energy
Since the first day of his return to the White House, he has signed a memo calling for a federal freeze on permits and leases for onshore and offshore wind projects.
But the administration has faced judicial resistance, with a court in February halting five orders to disrupt offshore wind projects, and then a Trump-appointed judge ordering the Pentagon to resume its routine military reviews of onshore wind projects. Still, Trump insists the country should halt wind projects, calling them unstable, costly, and ugly.
7. Washington Monument
The most symbolic battle is found in Axios' preoccupation with Washington's beautification and erection projects. Journalist Maggie Haberman estimates that 70 percent of the president's attention goes to renovations and erections, while one insider says these "hobbies" are distracting from his poor poll numbers.
The Hill details some of those files: a 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom that was suspended by a federal appeals court for failing to obtain funding authorization from Congress, the renovation of the Reflection Pool near the Lincoln Memorial, and the plan for the 250-foot-tall Arc de Triomphe in Washington despite legal objections and warnings about its impact on historic sites.
Axios concludes that top Republicans in Congress believe that Trump's declining popularity could lead to the loss of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate, while some are quietly urging him to move on to the issues of the economy and the cost of living. But a report says the president shows no desire to back down or shift to a new agenda before or after the November election.
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Source: Axios
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