Even Trump Can’t Spin This One
This article critiques President Trump's administration, arguing that his ability to shape public perception is failing amidst the ongoing war in Iran. It suggests that the reality of the conflict is undermining his political narrative and social media influence.
Why it matters
Examines the limits of political rhetoric and propaganda when confronted with the tangible consequences of military conflict.
Saul Loeb / AFP / Getty July 25, 2026, 7 AM ET Share Save If President Trump has one true skill, it is conjuring up alternate realities and getting his supporters to accept them. The examples are everywhere: dismissing stories he doesn’t like as “fake news” from corrupt media, casting the January 6 rioters as victims, election denial. After he baselessly insisted that there had been rampant mail-in voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, 11 states made mail-voting access more restrictive. His repeated false claims in 2024 that Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets led to real threats against the community. Trump builds a world, and by virtue of his power and influence, all of us end up living in it in some way or another.
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