Iran war raises midterm risks as ICE force report draws scrutiny
NPR says gas prices could shape the war’s political fallout, while the ACLU says force or threats appeared in nearly a third of reviewed ICE operations.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
President Trump faces growing political risk from the continuing U.S. war with Iran as the midterm elections approach, according to NPR. Separately, the American Civil Liberties Union said a review of immigration enforcement actions found frequent use or threat of force by ICE officers.
NPR reported that Trump formally notified Congress this week that the United States is again at war with Iran. The Trump administration says that notice begins a fresh 60-day period in which military operations can continue without further congressional authorization, according to NPR.
Gas prices could shape the political fallout
NPR’s Franco Ordoñez told Up First that the political effect of the conflict may hinge on energy prices. If U.S. strikes weaken Iran’s government and help open the Strait of Hormuz, lower gas prices could help Trump politically, Ordoñez said.
The risk runs the other way if the fighting expands, Iran keeps control of the key waterway and fuel costs rise, according to Ordoñez. Under that scenario, Trump and Republican candidates could face voter anger tied to higher energy prices, NPR reported.
Ordoñez said a majority of Americans oppose the war, but Trump’s Republican supporters have mostly stayed with him and continue to accept his explanation of the conflict. That split leaves the president exposed to broader public opposition while retaining support from much of his party’s base, according to NPR’s reporting.
DNI nominee pressed on 2020 election
Jay Clayton, Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, faced pointed questions from senators over his independence and his views of the 2020 election, NPR reported. Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee repeatedly asked Clayton who won that election, according to NPR’s Greg Myre.
Clayton said he was not an election denier and acknowledged that Joe Biden was certified as president, but he did not directly say Biden won, Myre reported. NPR said senators may be focused on the issue because the intelligence chief could have a role in any inquiry involving the 2020 election.
Clayton has not worked inside the intelligence community, according to NPR. He told senators he has substantial experience working with intelligence agencies.
NPR also reported that Todd Blanche, Trump’s nominee for attorney general, faced tough questioning in a separate confirmation hearing about controversies involving the Justice Department over the past 18 months.
ACLU report examines ICE force
The ACLU said its new report reviewed more than 1,200 immigration enforcement operations in eight states. The group found that almost one-third of those operations included force or the threat of force, according to NPR’s summary of the report.
Researchers documented incidents in which officers tackled people, pinned them to the ground or used chemical irritants, rubber bullets and tasers, the ACLU said. NPR reported that the findings cover ICE operations since Trump took office for his second term.
The report adds another point of pressure for the administration as it handles a foreign war, confirmation fights and scrutiny over immigration enforcement. NPR’s coverage tied those issues to the broader political environment facing Trump and Republicans before November’s elections.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.