The Wall Street Journal: Trump Rejects Crossing the "Khark Island" Red Line, Deep Concerns Behind Loud Military Posturing
As rhetoric toward Iran intensifies, President Trump is actually engaged in a subtle internal struggle—on one hand, projecting strength outwardly, and on the other, harboring an innate fear of getting mired in prolonged warfare.
Multiple sources indicate that although the White House has recently escalated military pressure on Tehran, Trump has explicitly ruled out any possibility of capturing Khark Island, a strategic Iranian stronghold. Insider sources reveal that Trump privately harbors deep concerns about the potential consequences of such an aggressive move, fearing it could lead to significant U.S. casualties and completely derail his previous political calculations.
"The Carter Curse" and Unproven Impulses
Trump has long branded himself as "strong" and "unconventional," but this highly impulsive style of governance has never been tested in a protracted conventional military conflict.
When weighing the situation in the Middle East, Trump often slips into complex introspection, even drawing parallels with former President Jimmy Carter to either motivate or caution himself. The shadow of Carter’s mismanagement during the Iran hostage crisis continues to haunt Trump. He fully understands that if military action against Iran spirals out of control, he risks repeating history—and possibly becoming the president who drags America into another "Middle Eastern Vietnam."
Advisors’ Frustration: Advised to “Speak Less”
Facing Trump’s erratic behavior on military and diplomatic matters, the White House staff appears particularly helpless. His senior advisers have repeatedly urged him to reduce media interviews. The staff lament that Trump’s remarks often come across as live-streamed—contradictory, inconsistent, and frequently blurted out without full background briefings—placing immense pressure on the national security team to constantly "put out fires."
"Teasing" the Spokesperson: Chaos in White House Communication
Trump’s spontaneous approach not only confuses outsiders but also regularly plunges internal White House communication into awkward situations. According to sources, Trump sometimes even jokes at the expense of his own White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt.
He frequently delivers major announcements or shifts policy tone after casual chats with frontline reporters, while Leavitt—the administration’s official voice—remains completely unaware. Trump enjoys describing these scenes: Leavitt, like ordinary citizens, only discovers the president has leaked new strategic cards when news articles are published or broadcast on television. This recurring spectacle of the president bypassing the press secretary not only leaves Leavitt scrambling but also reflects the extreme disarray within this White House regarding information control.
In the portrait painted by The Wall Street Journal, Trump emerges as a figure of profound contradiction: he yearns to wield the sharpest sword to intimidate adversaries yet fears the blade turning back on himself; he revels in the absolute sense of control from improvisation, yet forces the entire national security and public relations apparatus to scramble behind the scenes. Amid the clamor of "maximum pressure," avoiding the actual trigger of war remains the greatest test facing Trump’s team.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862883689899148/
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