Left, Right & Center Oil Markets Hang On Trump’s Every Word About Iran
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Mar 13, 2026 
Will Swaim, conservative commentator and CEO of the California Policy Center. Mo Elleithee, Georgetown politics director and progressive commentator. They debate presidential responsibility in wartime and how a president’s remarks can move oil markets. They discuss Congress’s role in defining war aims, leadership at Homeland Security, and how media and secrecy shape public understanding.
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Public Opinion Is A Weapon In War
- Democracies need transparent war aims because public opinion is a powerful weapon that legitimizes sacrifice.
- Will Swaim and Mo Elleithee argued Trump's failure to define objectives created a vacuum media and critics filled, scrambling markets and trust.
Presidential Rhetoric Moves Markets Fast
- A president's offhand words can move oil and stock markets quickly and materially.
- John Bolton and the panel noted Trump's statement that the war was 'nearly over' reversed market moves within hours, affecting gasoline prices for consumers.
Avoiding Congressional Votes Hands Control To The President
- Congress stepping back from war debates effectively cedes narrative control to the executive.
- Will Swaim criticized Ron Johnson's suggestion to avoid votes, saying disagreement is normal and enemies already know America argues.