Staff Reports
Robert Pape and Walid Phares warned on Newsmax that Iran is not just firing missiles — it’s trying to wreck President Trump politically and irreversibly. That is not hyperbole. Tehran’s playbook mixes violence, sabotage of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and information warfare aimed squarely at undermining American resolve and damaging the president’s standing at home. Watch the clip below and then read on for why this matters and what conservatives should demand.
Iran’s strategy: political warfare, not just missiles
Robert Pape, a noted political scientist, and Walid Phares, a foreign-policy analyst, laid out a clear thesis: Iran wants to degrade President Trump politically by forcing bad choices, sowing panic, and letting the U.S. seem weak. That is a classic authoritarian trick. When you can’t beat a rival on the battlefield, you try to break him in voters’ eyes. Tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, sabotage of shipping, and a steady drip of cyber and propaganda operations all fit that model. These are actions meant to create headlines and political chaos, not merely military damage.
Why Tehran aims to damage the Trump presidency
There are concrete reasons behind this ugly aim. First, Iran seeks to deter future U.S. pressure by making retaliation politically costly for the White House. Second, it wants to drive wedges between the president and his base by creating the impression of failure or poor judgment. Third, Tehran hopes to split America’s allies by raising security costs and doubt. If the goal is to influence American elections and policy debates, these tactics work — especially when a compliant media is eager for drama.
What a serious conservative response should look like
Conservatives should be blunt: this is not the time for hand-wringing or moral equivalence. We need clear deterrence and smart pressure — secure shipping lanes, crippling sanctions on Iranian elites and proxies, and precision strikes where necessary to make the costs obvious and immediate. At the same time, do not be naive about escalation. A strong, surgical response that protects American lives and commerce will also burn Tehran’s political playbook by denying it headlines and easy victories.
Make no mistake: this is a battle over politics as much as it is over territory. President Trump deserves the benefit of a firm policy that defends American interests and prevents Iran from turning violence into political leverage. Voters and lawmakers should demand clarity, resolve, and results — not spin, not weakness, and certainly not business-as-usual appeasement. If Tehran hopes to wreck an American presidency, it will need a better plan. We won’t let them hand the headlines that easy.
