To the editor:
President Trump is consistent, but not necessarily in a good way. Bluster and threats, his usual go-to strategy, work when imposing tariffs or keeping Republicans in line but do not seem to be getting anywhere with Iran. This is especially so when he draws a line in the sand and then backs off, which he is famous for doing.
There is a way out for Trump, but it does not coincide with reality, which never seems to bother him. Although he never achieved any of his stated goals for declaring war on Iran, Trump can say he won and simply move on with no one in Trump’s world willing to tell him the truth.
It isn’t hard to imagine that a battered Iran would welcome a way to end this, but not by appearing to bend a knee to Trump. A better way is to have Trump’s team removed from the process. Trump, Vance, Hegseth, Rubio, Kushner, and Witkoff should all be sidelined, replaced by people who actually know how to deal with this and without having them gain Trump’s approval for what is negotiated. New faces at the table would provide Iran the ability to save face and make concessions that do not appear to be responses to Trump’s threats.
If you are thinking that Trump will never allow this to happen, he may not have a choice. If this stalemate persists for another month or two with no end in sight, Republicans in Congress may be forced to join Democrats to reel him in. If he chooses to object with threats, he will surely risk another impeachment, and this one may stick. With his popularity at an all time low of 30 percent and continuing to sink fast, even Republicans faithful to Trump should recognize it is long past time to abandon ship.
Frank Gunsberg
Great Barrington
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