Even Trump Can’t Spin This One

President Trump has made a career out of conjuring up alternate realities, but his latest attempt to spin the war in Iran is his most egregious failure yet. For months, he’s claimed that the conflict is all but over or coming to a close, but little success has come from these efforts.

Trump’s administration has tried to retroactively change the narrative on the Pentagon’s website, but experts and the public have remained skeptical. The U.S. invasion of Iran was initially sold as necessary to prevent Tehran from rebuilding its nuclear-weapons program, but intelligence assessments have cast doubt on this assertion.

The war has been unpopular with Trump’s base since its inception, and Iranian retaliation only exacerbated the conflict’s unpopularity. Closing the Strait of Hormuz and cutting off supply routes drove up prices worldwide, shocking markets. Trump’s attempts to spin this narrative have been half-hearted at best, with his social-media posts no longer commanding attention or respect.

Trump’s vision of reality is not only at odds with facts but also failing to convince even his most ardent supporters. His Truth Social posts now sound like the ramblings of a radicalized Facebook user. The market has stopped paying attention to Trump’s social-media feeds, and bond-market traders have dismissed his posts as “noise” with little ability to move the market.

This failure highlights the limits of Trump’s influence over media and public opinion. His attempts to shape reality through alternate universes have been severely curtailed, and his claims are met with widespread skepticism. Moreover, this development raises questions about social media’s role in shaping public opinion and influencing markets.

Trump’s Truth Social is attempting to monetize its influence by selling early access to posts from certain accounts, including the president’s, for as much as $100,000 a month. The clear implication is that paying subscribers will gain a distinct first-mover advantage in reading economic tea leaves.

The consequences of this trend are worrying: social media platforms can be bought and sold like commodities, raising serious concerns about public discourse integrity and special interests’ influence on policy. It’s time for regulators to take a closer look at these platforms and their role in shaping reality.

Trump’s failure to spin the war in Iran is also a reminder that even skilled propagandists have limits when it comes to shaping reality. The public has become increasingly skeptical of Trump’s claims, and his attempts to manipulate the narrative have been met with widespread criticism.

This development highlights the limits of propaganda in shaping public opinion: facts on the ground are too powerful for spin doctors to overcome, and the public is becoming more adept at distinguishing between reality and fantasy.

The market’s reaction to Trump’s posts has also been telling. Bond-market traders have stopped paying attention to his social-media feeds, dismissing them as “noise” with little ability to move the market. This raises serious questions about social media’s role in shaping public opinion and influencing markets.

It’s time for regulators to take a closer look at these platforms and their impact on public discourse. The influence of special interests on policy is already a major concern, but monetizing social media influence only exacerbates this problem.

The failure of Trump’s spin in Iran may mark a turning point in his presidency. For months, he’s claimed that the conflict is all but over or coming to a close, but facts on the ground have made clear reality has other plans.

It’s time for Trump and his administration to face up to consequences of their actions and admit defeat. The public will no longer be fooled by attempts to spin the narrative, and it’s only a matter of time before they are forced to confront harsh realities of war.

The war in Iran may have been lost, but it’s only just beginning for Trump’s presidency.