As President Donald Trump grapples with the implications of his failed negotiations for peace with Iran, one DC insider formerly of his orbit isn’t holding back, blasting the “flailing” Commander in Chief for his historic “strategic failure.”
This is according to George Conway, former husband of first-term Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway and current Democratic congressional candidate, who took to X on Monday to post his unvarnished thoughts on the president’s declaration that the U.S. would “keep” and “run” the Strait of Hormuz.
“The problem, ultimately,” posted Conway, “is that restoration of free passage in the Hormuz Strait would require a massive combined-arms offensive that would be extremely costly in blood and treasure, that would necessitate involvement of Western allies who no longer trust us and won't fight with us, and for which there would be little, if any, domestic political support.” Were the situation different, he elaborated, and the Iranians had taken control of the strait “unilaterally without our provocation, the conditions for such a massive response — involving ground troops, allies, and Congressional authorization — might have been possible. Which is why the Iranians never did that.”
From there, Conway hammers on the profound degree of Trump’s botched “excursion,” asserting, “Now Trump — and we — are stuck. And the Iranian regime knows it. They correctly perceive Trump's flailing as weakness, and their new leaders, having gained the upper hand after a decapitation strike, know they have the upper hand. They don't give a s–– about Trump's threats. It's hard to imagine a greater and graver strategic failure than this one, which has resulted solely from Trump's idiocy, ignorance, incompetence, impulsiveness and insanity.”
Conway shared his thoughts along with a post from conservative political commentator Shermichael Singleton, who offered a similarly no-holds-barred assessment of Trump’s war and how it is fanning the headwinds Republicans face heading into the November elections.
“Going into midterms in the midst of a war that’s materially impacting gas prices,” wrote Singleton, “when the cost of living is the top issue for voters, doesn’t make sense and will certainly have a negative impact on the Republican majority in the House. The incoherent strategy has caused predictable uncertainties for a resolution when the GOP should be focused on the very evident pain points for voters, but can’t. The best thing for the administration is a swift resolution and prioritization of the tangible issues impacting millions who will vote this fall.”
In a follow-up post responding to Conway, Singleton elaborated on how badly the war has backfired, writing, “Iran is now behaving like a quasi-superpower. They may lack nuclear warheads, but it is clear as day that they now know they have the ability to exert real control over the global economy by restricting passage through the strait. The dilemma is multifaceted for us: the very valid points [Conway] made on the cost and toll, as well as the simple fact that we can’t be there forever. Regardless of what agreements are made, I think the Iranian regime is now positioned to be far more powerful than it was before.”
