After Iran Strikes, an Omnipresent President Suddenly Isn’t

On a day when the death toll from the war with Iran rose to six Americans, President Donald Trump made time to post photos of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on social media, to alert his followers to Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s appearance on Fox News and to announce that he would attend the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April. What Trump didn’t make time for was an on-camera interview like Netanyahu’s with reporters that was focused on the military conflict in Iran.

When he did address Iran on Monday — his first live appearance since the war began — he offered only brief remarks. These comments came at the beginning of a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House, an add-on to a previously scheduled event rather than dedicated time to a conflict that could define his presidency. And even then, he quickly pivoted to another topic.