Trump steps up stunts as US midterms loom

From a row with Canada to proposed talks with North Korea’s Kim, is the US president trying to distract voters from his unpopular Iran war?

From trolling Canada about a lake to suddenly talking about Kim Jong-un, US President Donald Trump’s recent distractions speak louder than words.

The former reality television star has long been known for his reliance upon a simple tactic: when you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.

But the 80-year-old’s recent stunts appear to be even more targeted than usual at wrestling the news away from the Iran war and the economy as difficult midterm elections loom in November.

“This president specialises in diversions,” said William Galston of the Brookings Institution.

The war on Iran is proving a major drag on Trump’s approval ratings, which polls show are consistently in the low 30s, but there is no end in sight to the conflict as it hits the six-month mark.

The Atlantic reported that the White House’s strategy was to try to push the conflict into the background, avoiding more military action and focusing on less newsy economic measures against Tehran.