Can Trump persuade Americans to ignore oil prices and back his war on Iran?

18 snips

Mar 11, 2026

They dig into whether Trump can sell support for a war with Iran amid rising oil prices and voter unease. They explore unclear goals of the campaign and how Israel’s aims may differ. They examine risks to shipping lanes like the Strait of Hormuz and the potential for global fuel price shocks. They discuss domestic political trade-offs, congressional funding pressures, and reactions from veterans and local voters.

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INSIGHT

Trump Must Sell Control To Cover Rising Oil Prices

Donald Trump urgently needs to convince voters he controls the Iran conflict to justify short-term economic pain.
Sarah Smith reports he toured Kentucky and Ohio pushing an affordability message as oil prices rose after the strikes.

INSIGHT

Mixed Messaging Masks Undefined Military Objectives

The administration's public messaging on objectives is inconsistent, alternating between 'very complete' and 'just the beginning'.
Anthony Zurcher and Sarah play Trump and defense clips showing contradictory claims about continuing strikes.

INSIGHT

Unclear Endstate After Unconditional Surrender Demand

'Unconditional surrender' rhetoric shifted quickly into vaguer aims, exposing a gap between rhetoric and practicable goals.
Sarah cites Trump press moments and Pete Hegseth's redefinition of 'unconditional surrender' as 'no longer able to fight back.'

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Does Donald Trump actually have a plan for the war in Iran? Eleven days on from the start of the conflict - with rising oil prices, and worries over oil supplies - the president’s narrative has shifted, branding the war “very complete”, while also signalling that ”we're going to go further.” Can he persuade Americans to back him?

However, the decision to withdraw from Iran is not as straightforward as it may seem. Anthony and Sarah discuss what factors might be keeping the US forces in the region? How far will they back Israel? And what might be necessary to keep key shipping lanes moving, to avoid petrol and gas price inflation not just in the United States, but also around the world.

Sarah’s in Kentucky ahead of the latest stop of Trump’s affordability tour, asking whether president can take control of the narrative to convince voters and lawmakers that he has a clear plan for success in Iran? And despite promising to put America first, will his MAGA base agree with the president that higher prices are “a very small price to pay for USA and World, Safety and Peace”? We also look at the role of Congress and the process for Trump when it comes to funding the war.

HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

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This episode was made by Rufus Gray, Alix Pickles, and Mhairi MacKensize. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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