Fox Business: after defeat at the polls, Laura Ingraham defends Trump to end the war in Iran

Presenter Laura Ingraham said on her Fox show that President Donald Trump should end the war in Iran and "cut his losses" after the Republican defeat in the midterm legislative elections, which she called "overwhelming." According to the presenter, the coalition that elected Trump in 2024 cannot be rebuilt as long as the conflict continues.

According to Fox News' own voting analysis cited in the program, 94% of voters in the midterm elections said the war in Iran was an important factor in the decision. Ingraham also pointed to frustration with high gasoline prices as a driver of the result at the polls.

The presenter stated that the Democrats intend, on the first day, to act to end the war, including cutting funding for operations. In her assessment, this makes regime change in Tehran unfeasible and reduces Iran's incentive to surrender after yet another bombing campaign.

Trump's two options

Ingraham put two alternatives before the president. The first, which he called the "George W. Bush option", would be to insist on war despite public opinion. She recalled that, in March 2006, a Gallup poll showed that 60% of Americans considered that the Iraq war was not worth it, and that the Republican Party ended up "annihilated" in 2008.

The second option would be to accept the facts and move on, as a businessman would do when faced with a failed venture. For the presenter, Trump has already made gains, as he significantly reduced Iran's military capacity, including the destruction of its navy and part of the summit. It would now be up, according to her, to transfer the task to the Gulf countries and other potentially threatened countries.

Ingraham also warned of the economic risk of escalation. If Iran responded to a new attack by destroying 40% of the Gulf's oil infrastructure, she said, it could reach $175 a barrel, severely impacting the remainder of Trump's term. For investors, the scenario highlights how energy and inflation remain linked to the outcome of the conflict.

Guests differ on details

Historian Victor Davis Hanson of the Hoover Institution argued for a modified version: verify by intelligence whether the facility known as Pickaxe Mountain holds usable nuclear material and, if not, end the offensive, maintain sanctions, avoid negotiations and keep the straits open. Byron York, a Fox News contributor, said he believes Trump is unlikely to launch another attack, and that there are those who advise him to maintain economic pressure.

Fox reported, citing reporter Jennifer Griffin, that Trump has assembled his national security team to discuss resuming military operations. Ingraham said Democrats are expected to take over the House and Senate on Jan. 3 and that, she said, "they are going to end this war."

Lessons in Florida

In an interview on the same program, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that the state was not immune to the Democratic wave, but won all state races. He said a property tax reduction initiative, which passed by a wide margin, helped drive voters to the polls. DeSantis compared the performance to that of Texas, where, in his assessment, Republicans suffered an "extinction event."

DeSantis also criticized the lack of productivity in the Republican Congress and stated that some voters stayed at home out of frustration with unfulfilled promises. He called for the Senate to confirm all pending conservative judges by January 3. The evaluations are from the presenter and guests, not from the editorial staff.

Automatically translated from Portuguese.