Trump ‘having second thoughts’ on one action that MAGA voters would ‘balk’ at: analysis

Donald Trump could ease off of further actions against Iran for fear of alienating his MAGA and America First voter base, according to one analyst.The president has taken action against Iran and Venezuela in recent weeks, and has warned further action could be taken against Greenland, Mexico, and Cuba. Whether the administration continues its bombing of Iran or transitions into a more direct military intervention is yet to be seen, but CNN analyst Stephen Collinson believes Trump has lost his nerve. He wrote, “For all his bluster, Trump could be having second thoughts. The act of ordering American personnel into combat is wrenching for any president. Any attack on Iran designed to blunt the regime’s machinery of repression would have to be broad and deep.” “The kind of quick, sharp shock that characterized US strikes in Venezuela and in Iran last year might be ineffective. The US could get dragged into a longer venture at which Trump’s ‘America First’ supporters, already discomfited by his global grabs for power, might balk.”There is a chance it could be a ploy from Trump, though, with Collinson suggesting the president must now manage the “huge expectations” he has set. Collinson explained, “Of course, Trump’s possible blink on military action could be a ruse. Before he struck Iran’s nuclear program last year, he offered the impression that Tehran had days left to make a deal — then sent US stealth bombers on an audacious round-the-world mission to target its nuclear sites.””Previous presidents have been careful to avoid any impression they were calling Iranian protesters onto the streets, in order to avoid offering the regime an excuse to claim they are acting on behalf of the Great Satan, the United States. Trump had no such concerns.”Collinson also likened the president to a “juggler” whose world politics were at risk of collapse. He added, “It’s hard to see how the president gets himself off this hook. Threats, bluffs and juggling all the foreign policy balls in the world can only work for so long.””An American president who disdains traditional policy processes, acts on his gut, and says he’s a man of peace while developing an increasing taste for spectacular and violent military action is on the clock.”

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