The Trump administration is circulating talking points to Republican members of Congress, instructing them to praise military operations in Iran and avoid calling the conflict there a war. The spin operation coincides with President Donald Trump reaching out to reporters, even as opinion polls show the public opposed to the bombing campaign.
The White House’s talking points, obtained by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein, tell members of Congress that the objectives in Iran are “clear.” Republicans were told to say that “President Trump should be commended for killing terrorists and finally having the courage to do what American presidents for nearly 50 years have all contemplated but failed to execute.”
In the section explaining how members should respond to questions about whether the U.S. is in a war with Iran, the document says, “The President announced major combat operations against Iran with clear achievable goals.”
The White House document clashes with the reality of Trump’s rollout of the operation, which has featured a mishmash of justifications and rhetoric against a backdrop of international death.
Depending on whom the administration is addressing, the rationale has varied. Trump has argued that the attack on Iran is about changing the regime, while his Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Monday the attack’s goal was not regime change. Trump has invoked a purported Iranian plot to kill him as justification for the attack. But he has also brought up Iran’s purported nuclear capabilities—a claim at odds with his statement last year that the nation’s nuclear facilities had been “totally obliterated” by air strikes at the time.
A plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, on March 1.
Further muddying the waters has been Trump’s personal public relations blitz. While he has spent over a decade deriding the media as “fake news” for its accurate reporting of his failures, scandals, and corruption, Trump has been in near-constant contact with the mainstream press since the bombing campaign began.
He has spoken to reporters from outlets including The Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN, ABC News, New York Post, as well as independent outlets. His arguments have been inconsistent across these platforms, indicating that conflict with Iran may last just a few weeks or for an indeterminate amount of time.
Early data shows that Trump and his Republican allies have a long way to go to convince the public that the attack is justified. There are vocal complaints from Trump’s MAGA base, which was promised an end to U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts. Even pro-Trump media figures like conspiracy theorist Alex Jones have expressed dismay at the military action.
The public at large is opposed. A survey by The Washington Post/SSRS finds that 52% of Americans are opposed to the bombing. In a poll from Reuters/Ipsos, only 27% backed Trump’s attacks.
Historically, military operations have their highest support at the beginning. Trump is starting out far behind, and he and his party will have to do a lot more spinning and selling.
