The Memo: Political pressures grow on Trump over Iran

President Trump faces a plethora of political pressures stemming from his decision to attack Iran — and they are likely to escalate the longer the conflict goes on.

In terms of domestic politics, the gravest threat is the economic effects of the strife in the Middle East. 

Gas prices in the United States have risen sharply, chiefly because of the de facto blockage of the crucial Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s southern coast. Around 20 percent of the world’s oil transits the narrow channel under normal circumstances.

The national average price for a gallon of gas has soared from roughly $2.90 a week before the first U.S. and Israeli assaults on Iran to around $3.61 on Thursday, according to the GasBuddy website.

The gas prices are reflective of massive volatility in the price of oil. The swings in oil’s valuation have sometimes been driven by Trump’s public remarks, with prices easing when he implies he might draw the conflict to a close and rising when that outcome looks more distant. 

As of 4 p.m. EDT on Thursday, the price of Brent Crude oil had again edged over $100, up more than 9 percent for the day. Within the past five days, the price has ranged from approximately $84 to $116.

Trump sought to make the best of these price gyrations in a Thursday morning social media post, in which he contended: “The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money.”

But it seems highly dubious whether that argument will resonate with an American public already dismayed by the state of the economy, worried about rising prices and unpersuaded by the arguments for war in Iran.

“The way the administration has handled the political and diplomatic aspects of this war have fallen way short of where they need to be,” said former Rep. Charlie Dent (Pa.), a moderate Republican........

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