The Japan Times - Driven by distraction? Trump steps up stunts as US midterms loom

The former reality TV star has long been known for his reliance upon a simple tactic: when you don't like what's being said, change the conversation.

But the 80-year-old's recent stunts appear to be even more targeted than usual at wrestling the news away from the Iran war and the economy as difficult midterm elections loom in November.

"This president specializes in diversions," William Galston of the Brookings Institution told AFP.

The war on Iran is proving a major drag on Trump's approval ratings, which polls show are consistently in the low 30s, but there is no end in sight to the conflict as it hits the six-month mark.

The Atlantic reported that the White House's strategy was to try to push the conflict into the background, avoiding more military action and focusing on less newsy economic measures against Tehran.

One way of doing that is by making people look the other way.

On Thursday, Trump called the press into the Oval Office for a stunning announcement: he was signing an order to rename Lake Ontario, on the border with Canada, as "Lake America."

The move followed days of a headline-grabbing trade war with Canada, all reinforcing the "America First" narrative Trump sells to his political base.

- 'Pathetic' -

Democrats blasted what they called a "juvenile" move.

"It's a pathetic attempt at distraction, and it's working families who are paying the price," Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement after the lake announcement.

A week earlier, Trump suddenly brought up the prospect of talks with North Korean leader Kim, despite having rarely mentioned the subject since returning to office in January 2025.

Trump lavished praise on Kim, whom he met three times in his first term, while bashing US ally South Korea and downsizing joint military drills with Seoul.

The billionaire president has also been even more talkative than usual about his makeover of the White House -- although Democrats say that makes him look out of touch.

On Friday he was posting on his Truth Social network about "cleaning and regrouting the Granite" at the White House entrance.

But at the same time as he seeks to distract voters, Trump is also trying to get them to focus -- on himself.

After his handpicked candidates won in a number of primaries ahead of the midterms, the two-time president is apparently convinced that he is the best way to deliver a result for Republicans.

"Pretend I'm on the ballot," Trump told Fox News on Wednesday.

Trump is also planning to buy television ads about his own record ahead of the elections -- when many Republicans fear they will lose control of Congress -- using a $400 million political war chest.

The White House has been pushing the message, highlighting this week what it said were "14 recent wins" on everything from suppressing mail-in ballots to stepped up deportations of migrants.

- Midterm challenge -

Yet Trump faces major challenges in getting the conversation to where he wants it.

The Iran war remains a quagmire for a president who promised not to get America involved in more foreign wars.

If oil prices, and therefore the cost of living, remain high then the economy will likely remain the single biggest issue with voters in the midterms.

"It's hard to change people's minds when you're talking about things they’re experiencing directly," said Galston, of the Brookings Institution.

The White House has also lost one of its most powerful messengers, after formidable Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stepped down, saying she wanted to devote more time to her children.

Trump's own star could dim too as he enters the lame-duck phase of his presidency after the midterms.

But he will still be able to stay in the spotlight by creating suspense over whom he endorses as his successor in 2028.

Trump has also dropped repeated hints about running for a third term as president himself.

That is barred under the US constitution -- but a bet against Trump has often proved a risky one.

T.Sasaki--JT