No longer significantly constrained by institutional checks, such as the Judiciary and Congress, Trump ordered two major military actions in 2026: the operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. While the Venezuela operation achieved its immediate objectives relatively quickly, the Iran conflict is proving to be far more protracted, devolving into a quagmire that has triggered a months-long crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil and shipping markets, inflicting economic costs on many countries, and arguably strengthening China’s relative position.
For a president who promised to end inflation and extract the US from forever wars in the Middle East, these developments have complicated his political narrative, and polling suggests some voters who backed him on those promises are reassessing. This quarter, our study group will focus on November’s midterm elections and continue exploring the fractures in Trump’s coalition: from public spats between tech billionaires and America First nationalists, Neo-Isolationists versus military interventionists, as well as renewed tensions sparked by the political fallout of the Epstein-related files, which have resurfaced long-standing disputes among key conservative factions.
Are you ready to dive deep into one of the most controversial and consequential presidencies in U.S. history? Join our study group for a critical and engaging quarter – we look forward to welcoming new participants and fresh perspectives.