President Donald Trump speaks during the signing ceremony for an executive order on mail ballots, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., March 31, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci/File Photo
President Donald Trump is low on options to sell the war that most voters already see as a "disaster," and as one former naval officer wrote for The Hill, the last option he is stuck with now is to try and "spin the narrative" in his own favor.
Beyond his naval service, Harlan Ullman has had an extensive career in the realms of policy and business, with The Hill crediting him as "UPI’s Arnaud deBorchgrave Distinguished Columnist, a senior adviser at the Atlantic Council, the chairman of two private companies and the principal author of the doctrine of shock and awe." On Monday, he published a new column for the outlet detailing the predicament Trump is facing as negotiations to end the Iran conflict spiral on with no end in sight.
"The possible outcome is an agreement to settle the crucial issues of opening the Strait of Hormuz and the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium over the next month to 90 days, or even longer," Ullman wrote. "That agreement must have at least two qualifications. First, there must be absolute guarantees to keep the Strait permanently open. Second, any agreement on the nuclear issues must be far better than the Obama administration’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Meanwhile, the prices of gas, food and other commodities remain so high that Trump’s public support is tanking. That is both in terms of the war and the economy, where 'affordability' seems to be the Democrats’ slogan for victory in the November elections."
Meanwhile, he noted, Trump cannot seem to stop himself from saying things that make the situation worse. His argument that "keeping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons transcends the public’s economic pain" was met with a disastrous reception. He also further alienated global partners by threatening to bomb Oman, a longtime ally, if they imposed tolls on passage through the Strait.
It remains likely that even if the conflict is resolved before the midterms, the economic fallout caused by it will linger, possibly for years. In that instance, Ullman argued, Trump is largely left to try and spin his way out of trouble, or ignore it.
"First, Trump believes that he can negotiate his way clear of any impasse," Ullman wrote. "Or if that fails, he will deny responsibility and blame someone else. The fiction that the 2020 election was stolen is one example of Trump denying evidence of failure. There are others. Second, and this applies to Trump’s cynicism, it does not matter if Republicans win or lose the houses of Congress. If the Republicans hold, it will be business as usual. Even if Democrats win both Houses and impeachment, not conviction, is near certain, so what? Congress will likely be deadlocked."
Trump will also be able to use "semi-facts," including the half-right claims about regime changes and the destruction of the Iranian military, to claim some sort of victory in defiance of reality.
"No matter how the uranium matter is settled, Trump will employ his standard amount of hyperbole declaring that his was the best nuclear agreement ever reached. And his MAGA faithful will believe it," Ullman concluded. "Claiming victory is a good way out, no matter the validity of the claim. But at some stage reality must set in. Soon, it will become clear that the world before the attacks of Feb. 28 that began the Iranian “excursion” was safer and more stable than the one we have now. To most Americans, this war and its consequences have been a disaster. But not to Trump. He will spin this into a great success. And that is his game plan."
