'Nonsense From White House': Republicans Angry With Trump's Pope Feud And Iran War

Last Updated:April 16, 2026, 16:43 IST

A sputtering economy, high gas prices, a public spat with the pontiff and foreign policy setbacks in Pakistan and Hungary have left many White House allies newly exasperated.

As the White House attempts to reach a deal with Iran, some members of Donald Trump’s own political party feel he is dangerously off course- picking fights with the Pope, presiding over an unpopular war and threatening to fire the Federal Reserve chair at precisely the wrong moment.

The frustration among Republican allies has reached a new pitch, with a growing number privately resigned to losing the House and increasingly worried the Senate may also be in play. A sputtering economy, high gas prices, a public spat with the pontiff and foreign policy setbacks in Pakistan and Hungary have left many White House allies newly exasperated heading into what was already expected to be a difficult midterm year.

A Republican operative close to the White House told Politico, “Everything is made more difficult by the nonsense coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue."

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The latest self-inflicted wound came when Trump threatened once again to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell during what was intended to be a friendly Tax Day interview celebrating his administration’s tax cuts. The remarks angered key senators whose votes the White House needs to confirm Jerome Powell’s nominated successor Kevin Warsh.

Where Donald Trump’s Approval Ratings Stand

The distractions arrive at a particularly damaging moment. Polls show Trump’s handling of the economy at career lows. Support for US military strikes on Iran stands at just 38 percent, according to a new Politico poll conducted April 11–14. Nearly half of all respondents believe Trump has spent too much time on international affairs rather than domestic issues- including 20 percent of self-identified MAGA voters. More than half of respondents, 53 percent, hold a negative view of Trump overall.

For some allies, the Iran conflict represents the starkest contradiction of all- a president who ran on ending endless wars now presiding over one.

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A person close to the White House told the outlet, “People are a little bit worried, because what did he do? He ran on, we’re going to get rid of the endless wars and he’s not going to do an endless war, it’s not in his DNA. He knows it’s not in America’s best interest. He ran on lowering gas prices."

Trump himself appeared to recalibrate, striking an optimistic note by saying the Iran conflict is “very close to over" and pledging that gas prices would be “much lower" by the midterms.

News world 'Nonsense From White House': Republicans Angry With Trump's Pope Feud And Iran War

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