The mood inside the White House is reportedly being driven by a sense of burnout among staffers and officials who are trying to push President Donald Trump’s agenda forward while being “all-consumed” by the unpopular Iran war.
For more than three months, Trump’s war with Iran has dragged on, pushing gas prices and inflation higher for Americans – leading to negative media attention and general disapproval by the public. The administration has made several efforts to end the war, or at least open the Strait of Hormuz but so far no tangible deals have been implemented.
“The administration is all-consumed by this conflict. They’re pretty much in a funk with it – or fatigue – in that there’s nothing happening,” an unnamed source close to the White House told Politico. “Even if there are wins, no one’s communicating them. There’s just no other play outside of – we are stuck in this quicksand of Iran.”
The restlessness over the Iran war, compounded with recent losses, such as Congress’s refusal to fund Trump’s immigration agenda over the widely disliked $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” has created a sense of malaise, Politico reported.
Some close to the White House say the Iran war is distracting the public from the White House’s first-year successes in passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, deporting hundreds of thousands of immigrants and more – policies that motivate Republican voters.
“President Trump can walk and chew gum at the same time,” White House Spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement, highlighting the president’s achievements in launching TrumpRx, Trump Accounts, cracking down on crime in D.C., and rolling back environmental regulations.
“At the same time, after our warfighters decimated Iran’s military, US negotiators continue talks to end Iran’s nuclear capabilities for good. It’s a shame that the media would rather push false ‘doom-and-gloom’ narratives than highlight all the administration is doing for families across the country, but President Trump remains focused on delivering on all of his promises for Americans while simultaneously ensuring Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” Kelly added.
Instead of focusing on wins, the administration appears to be dodging a series of wrenches thrown in their plans, all against the backdrop of the Iran war.
Monday, the administration appeared to drop the $1.8 billion fund that could have allowed Trump’s allies, including January 6 rioters, monetary relief from taxpayer money, after Republican lawmakers publicly denounced it.
The so-called “slush fund” caused such backlash that Republican lawmakers refused to vote on legislation that would fund immigration enforcement, his key policy.
Republican senators have yet to pass the SAVE America Act, legislation that would add stricter requirements to voting in federal elections, nor agreed to fund portions of Trump’s White House ballroom project.
The president has sought to temper feelings, assuring the public that high gas prices are a temporary side effect of the war, claiming the Iran war is over despite ongoing fighting and struggling with general concerns about peace deals.
“Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end – It always does!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday in response to criticisms about the ongoing war.
He’s even downplayed the unsuccessful back-and-forth conversations with Iran, telling CNBC Monday “I couldn’t care less,” if the peace negotiations are over.
Trump’s defenders have brushed off criticisms and media reports about the concerns over the Iran war as fake news.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung accused reporters of “peddling lies and falsehoods” in response to an MSNOW report that said White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles encouraged Trump to focus on affordability messaging.
