Confusion in Trump’s Messages Avoiding Iran War Review; Lee Jae-myung ‘Imitation’ of Real Estate Tax Hike
President Trump’s international politics is showing signs of decline, shifting from confusing messages caused by his avoidance of advice and review procedures regarding a war with Iran to a strategy of ‘demonstrating authority to a domestic audience’ relying on the rampant use of ‘false propaganda.’
President Trump’s ‘demonstration of authority for the audience’—which began as a means to evade rigorous review and advice from his staff and evolved into a tactic relying on personal messages regarding the Iran war—ultimately revealed a situation of power abuse where he ‘could not even persuade himself.’ This mirrors President Lee Jae-myung’s similar ‘abuse of personal remarks,’ which manifests as a tactic to demonstrate power expansion and ultimately imitates the ‘real estate tax hike.’
The NYT editorial board stated in an editorial on the 17th, “He sought advice from fewer aides than past presidents when ordering military action and avoided the prudent procedures to reveal dissenting opinions and potential problems,” adding, “He made absurd and contradictory public statements, including claims that the war had nearly achieved its objectives, attempted to mislead the world about the tragic deaths of dozens of Iranian students caused by U.S. missile mistargeting, and almost every day he demonstrates why he cannot be entrusted with the government’s most critical matters.”
Nicholas J. Curl, a professor of public diplomacy at the University of Southern California, told the NYT that President Trump’s reason for trying to do something else with his “confusing” messages is “to show off presidential authority for a domestic audience.”
Professor Curl stated, "It is still too early to judge the impact this has on global public opinion," adding, "For the time being, the role of cautious superpower politics on the world stage appears hollow."
Professor Alison Frasch, an expert in "rhetoric and political communication" at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, diagnosed the situation as being "for a domestic audience," noting, "President Trump's contradictory remarks indicate an effort to communicate with various factions within his support base."
She noted, "He speaks to an audience that may support moral or ethical arguments regarding regime change in Iran, while simultaneously dismissing the bombing campaign to hardline 'America First' supporters by saying, 'This bombing campaign is temporary, not permanent or significant.'"
Trump is accustomed to delivering dizzyingly contradictory messages; shifts in his stance on war came almost simultaneously, ranging from a mere "picnic" to a crucial means of resolving an existential threat, claiming "we have already won," only to revert to saying, "we must not leave yet because we still have a mission to complete."
The NYT noted, "He has long [done] within his political base "He has used ambiguity as a strategy to appease various factions and declare victory even when details remain unclear," the report stated. "However, as the President's contradictory positions clash with the chaos of war, his shifting stance is becoming a threat spreading globally, unlike in situations where he occasionally struggled to distinguish between legitimacy and ultimate goals."
While President Trump has historically been successful in tactics that often create confusion to avoid international crises, back down on tariffs, and withdraw threats such as the occupation of Greenland, the growing criticism regarding his decision to go to war amidst the prolonged conflict with Iran appears to be a self-contradictory "unable to convince himself."
James J. Kimble, a researcher of rhetoric and propaganda history at Seton Hall University, stated, "The lack of discipline and clarity strongly suggests that the administration was unprepared for the message delivery aspect of this conflict," adding, "The reason the demands are vague is likely because the administration does not know what the goal is other than victory."
The war with Iran is not only one of the rhetorical threats President Trump has put forward on the world stage, but also involves concrete issues such as rising death tolls and soaring oil prices. It has produced results, leading even his domestic supporters to criticize him for betraying his election pledge to "not start a new war."
In launching this war two and a half weeks ago, President Trump set a larger goal for the Iranian regime. Immediately after the first attack, he stated, "To the great and proud people of Iran, tonight I tell you that your time of freedom has come," demanding the unconditional surrender of the Iranian government and stating that he must approve the next leader. He promised to "make Iran great again," but did not explain "how" this would be achieved.
Regarding the goal of eliminating Iran's nuclear weapons, a NYT editorial stated, "Military humiliation suffered over the past few years provides an incentive to take the final step toward weapons not previously taken," adding that "the plan also failed to prepare for the predictable side effects of a Middle East war, such as the disruption of oil supplies leading to skyrocketing prices and the paralysis of the global economy."
On the 16th, after Germany and the UK refused to send troops to the Channel, President Trump said, "Several countries will arrive soon," and regarding France's President Macron It was mentioned that it received an 8 out of 10 score for being highly likely to provide assistance in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump praised it, saying, "It is not perfect, but it is French," but on the same day, the French Foreign Ministry clearly announced its opposition to X, stating, "No. The aircraft carrier and its unit remained in the Eastern Mediterranean. The stance has not changed: it is a defensive attitude."
In fact, on the 9th, President Macron stated that he wanted France to deploy military escorts to "escort" container ships and oil tankers into the Strait of Hormuz "as quickly as possible," but announced that the deployment of vessels would wait until the war ended, noting that "such operations cannot begin until the fighting in the Middle East has subsided."
Macron said that the potential mission would be a "purely defensive mission" involving both European and non-European countries.
Politico reported on the 9th that "Macron told reporters at a military base in Cyprus that he discussed potential missions with his Greek and Cypriot colleagues, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Nikos Christodoulides," noting that "Macron's visit to Cyprus on the 9th took place after the island was hit by drones following last week's U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, which plunged the island into conflict."
On that day, Macron pledged to uphold the France-Cyprus defense agreement, stating, "If Cyprus is attacked, Europe is attacked." France has already deployed an air defense network to Cyprus and stationed its only aircraft carrier in the region.
Politico reported that "Macron said France is 'taking a strictly defensive stance alongside all countries under attack by Iran' and intends to 'contribute to easing regional tensions.'" Christodoulides of Cyprus stated that "Nicosia will focus on a humanitarian role rather than participating in military operations."
It was reported that Mitsotakis stated that "freedom of navigation" is "under attack" and that Europe "must prepare for other asymmetric threats, such as large-scale migration flows."
At a Cabinet meeting on the 17th regarding measures to stabilize housing prices, President Lee Jae-myung announced, "Tax issues are, in any case, a last resort. In terms of war, taxes are like a nuclear bomb," adding, "If the situation requires it to be used as a last resort, it must be used. Please make sure to prepare well."
President Lee has repeatedly insisted on handling real estate policies unilaterally through social media, and at the Cabinet meeting on this day, he previously stated, "The entire country has become a target for speculation and investment, and the biggest impact has been on finance," adding, "We must definitely bring real estate under control this time, and the most important part is the financial sector."
On July 6, 2021, while serving as the Governor of Gyeonggi Province, President Lee, speaking as a debater in the National Assembly, stated, “To normalize the real estate market, we must maintain an adequate supply of public housing, such as Basic Housing, and curb speculation and speculative demand by increasing the tax burden on non-essential real estate.”
He asserted, “Normalizing the real estate market is not difficult; if we maintain an adequate supply and suppress speculation, speculative demand, and panic demand, market prices formed appropriately in the market will not be distorted.”
He announced that the solution involves “expanding the supply of public housing, including Basic Housing, imposing financial restrictions on non-essential real estate, and introducing a land holding tax.”
He continued, “The problem is that a specific minority monopolizes the profits from unfair price increases resulting from economic growth, and the land holding tax is for the sake of the social community.” He defined the introduction of the land holding tax as “tax reform,” noting that “basic income is about returning the full amount of the borne holding tax fairly to all citizens,” and that “simulation results show that about 85% would receive more than the land tax they pay.”
See <Lee Jae-myung: Ultra-low Interest Rates, 6 Trillion Won Loans to Samsung and SK in January, ‘Real Estate Enemy’ Psychological Warfare Against the Public, February 3, 2026>
<Lee Jae-myung: ‘Economic Recovery’, Lee Hye-hoon: ‘Gray Rhino Tax for Future Investment’ Telescopic Effect, December 30, 2025>
<US Recession ‘After Mid-Month’, Samsung Electronics Profit Forecast Plummets 83%, February 28, 2023>
<Billions of Dollars ‘Evaporate’ from Private Equity Debtor Corporate Bankruptcies, Samsung-Led Black Rock ‘Losses’, October 11, 2025>
<K-Economy: Scraping Bottom Layers to Push Up Top Layers, Stock-Driven High-Income Wealth Growth, December 2, 2025>
<Lee Jae-myung: Controlled Economy System via Command Economy, ‘Power Dominates Market, Government Determines Losses’, February 2026 <Date 1>
<Trump’s Simultaneous Ownership of Cryptocurrency and Real Estate: 'Double Rise, Double Loss'; Lee Jae-myung: 'Economic Stimulus', Date June 29, 2025>