Democracy Dies in Darkness

Trump’s Iran brinkmanship reaches truce, escalates backlash at home

The president’s ultimatum drew condemnation across the political spectrum and intensified open debate about his credibility, morality and sanity.

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President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at a briefing on Monday. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post)
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During the 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump privately told donors about one of his favorite negotiating tactics, recounting at a New York fundraiser in May how he would deter Chinese or Russian aggression by threatening to bomb Beijing or Moscow.

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What readers are saying

The comments express strong criticism of President Donald Trump's handling of foreign policy, particularly regarding Iran. Many commenters accuse Trump of lacking credibility, morality, and sanity, and they criticize his approach as reckless and damaging to the United States'... Show more
This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.
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Isaac Arnsdorf is a senior White House reporter. His reporting from the scene of the Trump assassination attempt was central to The Post’s coverage that won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News. iarnsdorf
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