Nicholas Kristof: What a Mess Trump Created

In this incisive episode of The Bulwark, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof delivers a scathing critique of the U.S.-led war in the Middle East, particularly focusing on the conflict with Iran and its cascading global consequences. Drawing from his recent reporting in the West Bank, Kristof argues that the war—initiated under the Trump administration—was unnecessary, poorly conceived, and has left the U.S. in a worse strategic position than before. He highlights the devastating opportunity cost: trillions spent on a war that has degraded U.S. military inventories, undermined defenses for Taiwan and Europe, and exacerbated global food and energy insecurity. Kristof warns that the war has backfired on its stated goals, replacing moderate Iranian leadership with a harder-line regime more likely to pursue nuclear weapons and control the Strait of Hormuz. He also condemns the humanitarian toll, especially on Iranian civilians and the global poor, whose lives are threatened by rising food prices due to disrupted fertilizer and oil supplies. The episode underscores how the war has damaged U.S. credibility abroad, with allies like Canada and European nations increasingly turning to China as a more stable alternative. Kristof further dissects the political and military paradoxes of the current situation: while the U.S. claims success in crippling Iran’s missile and nuclear programs, these gains are offset by strategic recklessness, including the erosion of defenses critical to deterring China. He warns that the War Powers Resolution’s 60-day window is nearing expiration, raising urgent constitutional and political questions about presidential overreach. With bipartisan support for the war dwindling and Democrats facing pressure to act, Kristof sees this as a pivotal moment for Congress to reassert its authority. He also critiques the U.S. narrative around the war, noting how initial promises of regime change have collapsed, replaced by a more oppressive Iran. The episode closes with a somber reflection on the human cost—journalists killed, protesters punished, and ordinary people suffering—while questioning whether the U.S. has created a new global crisis in its pursuit of short-term military posturing.