Thune says Iran war has ‘Trumped everything else’ as GOP faces new midterm challenge
WASHINGTON, DC: As midterms draw closer, a new challenge has come up before the Republicans as Senate Majority Leader John Thune is now sure that voters are also evaluating the government’s performance in the war.
After a long pause in negotiations between Iran and the US, President Donald Trump has reportedly now decided to give Tehran sanction relief in exchange of concrete deal on nuclear weapons.
Thune says Iran war has become important ahead of midterms
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said Monday that the Iran war has become a major issue for voters ahead of the November midterm elections, which are just weeks away.
“Well, right now, the races are — it’s more about — it’s, you know, it is affordability issues, it’s the price of diesel in places like Iowa and Kansas and Nebraska and the Midwest, Minnesota,” Thune said Monday on Fox News’s “America’s Newsroom.”
“And so, I think that’s the issue. And what’s happening, Iran is sort of trumped everything else that’s going on,” he added.
The war in Iran has pushed up fuel prices. The Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil supplies, remains closed amid the fighting.
According to AAA , the average price of regular gasoline in the US was about $4.48 a gallon on Monday afternoon, up from $3.13 a year ago. Diesel prices also rose to about $6.45 a gallon, compared with nearly $3.69 last year.
On Sunday, Sept 27, Sen Mark Kelly (D-Ariz) said Trump was “stuck” dealing with the Iran war and was looking to “get back to where” the US had been before the conflict kicked off.
“The president got into this without a strategic goal, without a plan, without a timeline, without an exit strategy. He’s stuck,” Kelly told host Martha Raddatz on ABC News’s “This Week.”
Voters think Trump's performance on economy has worsened
As the midterms approach, Republicans face growing political challenges. Trump’s approval ratings are falling, Democrats are leading in recent polls, and the war in Iran has entered its seventh month. Concerns about the economy are also adding to the pressure.
During a Wall Street Journal poll, 60 per cent of registered voters said Trump’s policies on the economy have worsened it. While 25 per cent has exact opposite opinion, 10 per cent said that Trump policies didn't affect the economy at all.
On the other hand, President Trump has reportedly agreed to give Tehran sanction relief if the Islamic Republic agrees to Trump’s demand on nuclear weapon.
The official quoted by CNN said while the timing of the expected meeting has not been decided, the agreement would only take place if Tehran agrees to nuclear related conditions.
