President Donald Trump is to address the American people in a much-anticipated speech following the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. This will be his first address to the nation since the beginning of the war in the Middle East. Trump is scheduled to speak at around 3 am on Thursday, April 2, in a recorded address from the White House. Struggling politically due to the ongoing conflict, he promises an “important” update on the military operation “Epic Fury” initiated on February 28.
Day by day, Trump continues to express uncertainty about the conflict’s outcome. He has stated that it does not depend on negotiations with Tehran or the state of the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier this week, Trump hinted that the US could be “done” with Iran in “two or three weeks,” only to later claim that Tehran had called for a ceasefire, a statement quickly denied by Iran.
In addition to reassuring mostly skeptical Americans that everything is under control before the upcoming crucial elections, the 79-year-old Republican could potentially open a new diplomatic front against NATO. When asked by The Telegraph if he would consider questioning his country’s membership in the Atlantic Alliance after the conflict, Trump responded, “Oh yes, I would even say that it goes beyond a simple question.”
However, the constitutional maneuvering room for Trump in this matter is unclear. NATO could, at the very least, serve as a diversion for the American president. Trump has been emphasizing that US allies must do more to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, whose closure has driven up oil prices and subsequently, Americans’ fuel expenses. He also argues that NATO is costly for American taxpayers, who will now have to bear the significant cost of the war against Iran.
Opinion polls indicate that the majority of voters are opposed to the conflict, despite Trump’s “MAGA” base continuing to support him. The polls also show a decline in trust in the president’s ability to manage the country’s economy, with only 31% of Americans trusting him in the latest CNN/SSRS survey, the lowest point in his political career.
