“TACO,” anti-Trump crackpot Rick Wilson posted on social media, shortly after the president announced a two-week cease-fire that has Iran agreeing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
This “Trump always chickens out” sentiment was repeated by left-wing pundits, who only hours before were furious that President Trump was threatening to “blow up the whole country.”
So which is it? You’re mad when he threatens to bomb a country, then mock him when he doesn’t?
President Donald Trump mimics firing a gun as he speaks about the conflict in Iran in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on April 6, 2026, in Washington, DC. AFP via Getty ImagesNo matter how many times Trump turns to the same playbook — maximum pressure and outrageous threats to force a deal — Democrats and the press are shocked, shocked by his actions.
While the left was losing its mind, however, Trump’s tactics prodded China and Pakistan out of their stupor, and forced them to get involved. Those two nations, which use far more Iranian oil than the West, landed an agreement just 88 minutes before Trump’s deadline Tuesday night, and pushed the conflict out of limbo.
A key issue has been at least temporarily resolved: Iran will allow escorted traffic through the strait, taking pressure off the oil markets.
It remains to be seen whether Trump should have continued bombing the Iranians to increase his leverage against a regime expert at lying, cheating and obfuscating.
Most of Iran’s 10-point peace plan is an absolute non-starter (such as Tehran saying it wants to continue to enrich uranium).
Trump knows he must strike a verifiable and enforceable deal that doesn’t look as doomed as those that have gone before.
Trump has clearly laid out his red lines, has undoubtedly caused long-term damage to Iran’s military capability and degraded the regime’s leadership. Most importantly, he has shown he is not scared to use America’s military might against one of the world’s foremost threats to peace and democracy.
For now, there are two weeks of free trade and clear skies with which to negotiate even if it is highly likely that US and Israeli jets will soon be over Iranian targets again. We should be willing to take the temporary win, but there is much work to do.
