Trump says he’s ‘in no hurry’ for Iran deal amid war fears, rising gas prices

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND: President Donald J Trump completely shifted his administration's foreign policy messaging on Wednesday, May 20, declaring to reporters that he is "in no hurry" to conclude a diplomatic treaty with Iran.

Speaking before boarding Air Force One in Maryland, the President explicitly minimized mounting domestic political pressure regarding the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict, insisting that Washington will only take "one shot" at finalizing a resolution with Tehran.

The sudden change in tone sharply contrasts with the statements the President made just 24 hours earlier.

On Tuesday evening, while hosting lawmakers on the South Lawn for the White House’s annual Congressional Picnic, Trump confidently declared, "We’re going to end the war very quickly."

He claimed that the Iranian regime was so weary from the conflict that they were eager to finalize a treaty immediately.

The rapid policy pivot follows an emergency executive decision on Monday, where Trump aborted a highly anticipated military strike package scheduled for Tuesday morning at the direct request of leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Faced with a choice between an immediate military campaign and an elongated diplomatic timeline, the President boldly stated on Wednesday that he remains open to either approach, adding: "Ideally, I’d like to see a few people killed as opposed to a lot. We could do it either way."

Soaring fuel costs fuel massive consumer backlash

The administration's deliberate slow-walk of the peace negotiations arrives at a moment of severe domestic economic strain, as the regional conflict continues to wreak total havoc on global energy markets.

The military actions have triggered a dramatic spike in domestic inflation, driving fuel costs to unprecedented heights right at the launch of the summer travel season.

According to data published by AAA, the national average for retail gasoline has soared to $4.55 per gallon heading directly into the critical Memorial Day holiday weekend.

This severe economic fallout is generating immense political vulnerability for the Republican Party as lawmakers prepare to defend their tenuous congressional majorities in the upcoming November midterms.

A newly released New York Times/Siena University poll exposes a profound depth of public dissatisfaction, revealing that a staggering 64 percent of American citizens believe the decision to launch the war in Iran was entirely the wrong choice.

The widespread anti-war sentiment has dragged Trump’s personal approval rating down to a historic low of just 37 percent in the survey, complicating the leadership's efforts to project a unified front.

GOP base erodes over economic management

The political damage has begun fracturing the President's core constituency.

A separate, highly critical Associated Press-NORC poll published on Wednesday indicates that Trump is rapidly losing vital ground among self-identified conservative voters regarding his signature economic platforms.

According to the data, only 63 percent of Republicans currently approve of the administration's handling of the national economy.

This metric represents a devastating drop from the 78 percent approval rating the President commanded from his own party base at the absolute beginning of his second term.

While Trump attempted to project absolute confidence before reporters at Joint Base Andrews, dismissing warning signs about the upcoming midterms by reiterating, "Everyone is saying, ‘The midterms, I’m in a hurry.’ I’m in no hurry", the compounding polling data suggests that the administration's calculated indifference toward a rapid peace pact is carrying a massive, high-consequence risk at the ballot box.