Time is not on Trump’s side as he risks presidency 'crashing to earth': analysis

The war with Iran is eroding President Donald Trump's ability to "defy political gravity," according to a new analysis from the Economist, but he will only become more dangerous as his second term is brought "crashing to earth."

In a piece published Thursday, The Economist outlined how Trump's "ill-judged, heedless war against Iran" was a situation "precisely engineered to intercept the trajectory of his presidency," presenting a major impediment to his long-observed ability to escape scandals and failures with minimal damage.

"The reason is that the fight against Iran diminishes Mr. Trump’s three political superpowers," the piece explained. "His ability to impose his own reality on the world, his remorseless use of leverage and his dominion over the Republican Party. Even without Iran, the potency of these Trumpian strengths was likely to wane after the midterm elections. Wars accelerate change."

On the first count, despite Trump's efforts to twist reality to his own ends, "the war tells a truth of its own." The president's spin will also become harder for voters to stomach as the conflict wears on and gas prices soar even higher.

"If anything, time is on Iran’s side," The Economist's report argued. "America and Israel will gradually run out of useful targets to strike from the air, or run low on interceptor batteries to see off Iranian weapons. By contrast, Iran appears still to have plenty of drones. For as long as it restricts traffic in the strait, oil prices will climb and the damage to the world economy will grow."

Meanwhile, Trump's ability to leverage other countries to do his bidding is also running up against harsh realities. In the face of his demands for allied countries to help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz to ease the oil supply crisis, all of whom said no.

"He quickly reversed course, pretending he had never needed help," the piece noted.

These issues will further compound his ability to enact control over the GOP, with lawmakers and MAGA voters alike "seething" over the betrayal of his pledge to avoid foreign wars. As things get worse for Trump, however, he may vary well lash out harder in an attempt to seize more strength.

"Mr. Trump’s politics depends on the strength that comes from winning," The Economist explained. If he seems a loser, expect him to exact retribution. A weaker president could become a more dangerous one... It is hard to see how Mr. Trump ends up a winner in Iran. Be warned: he makes a very bad loser."