President Donald Trump spent Friday defending his handling of the war with Iran, campaigning in Florida ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections, and facing new court and immigration headlines — all in the final days before voters decide control of Congress.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Washington was in no hurry to end the conflict with Iran, describing it as "not a typical war" and saying time was on the American side. He said Tehran still wants talks but is struggling to pay its soldiers and police, and he claimed the United States had recovered its costs many times over through actions in Venezuela. The conflict, which began with a joint US-Israeli attack in February, has now lasted about seven months.
At the same time, reports on Friday said the administration has briefed Gulf allies to prepare for a possible short, intense round of strikes on Iran as soon as November 4, the day after the midterms, citing senior Gulf officials. The Wall Street Journal reported that US Central Command chief Brad Cooper briefed Trump on military options on Thursday. Gulf allies, according to those reports, are lobbying Washington to de-escalate, fearing Iranian retaliation. Separately, a Qatari outlet reported that a US delegation would hold direct talks with an Iranian delegation in Doha, with preliminary agreements said to cover Iran's nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz, and economic incentives.
Trump also campaigned Friday at a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, for Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds. There he revived his long-running feud with actor Robert De Niro, calling him a "moron," and discussed possible tax credits for Hollywood, saying film executives were seeking new incentives.
In other developments, a federal judge in New York ordered the government to pull three taxpayer-funded Trump administration advertisements from television and social media, ruling they appeared to be made for political purposes. The ads included one trumpeting the president's claim that every American would get $5,000 if Republicans keep control of Congress. The White House has defended the ads as public service announcements.
Reuters also reported Friday that the administration plans to deport some Afghan immigrants to Afghanistan, with more than 150 people expected to be affected in one of the largest single expulsions of Afghans. Many of those facing removal fled after the 2021 Taliban takeover. A US official said deportations would go via Pakistan, since Washington has no diplomatic ties with the Taliban government.
Trump is scheduled to campaign in Iowa and Kansas on Sunday as both parties make their final midterm push.
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press via The Week, Haaretz, New Indian Express, New York Post
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