“Only the president knows where things stand and what he will do.” That’s what White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier this month after President Donald Trump threatened that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran didn’t reach a deal with the U.S.
For the aides left to defend Trump’s shifting messages on the war with Iran, Leavitt’s comment was less a reassurance than a job description.
His messaging on the war has shifted consistently — at times, hour by hour. Within 48 hours, he went from saying Iran had “agreed to everything” toward a potential deal to warning that if Iran did not sign on the dotted line, the “whole country is getting blown up.” He has extended the war timeline by weeks, offered Iran a handful of deal extensions after saying he likely would not, and most recently indicated there was “no time frame” for the war to end — swiftly followed by a threat that Iran has “a matter of days” to reach a deal as a fragile ceasefire holds.
Some within the administration maintain that Trump’s seemingly scattershot messaging is deliberate.
This is a preview of Jake Traylor, Jacqueline Alemany and Laura Barrón-López’s latest article. Read the full article here.
