Donald Trump interrupted Fox News programming on Monday, 18 May, to deliver an urgent update on Iran from the White House, but many of the network's viewers swiftly turned on the president online, accusing Trump of backing down from his own warlike rhetoric.
The interruption came after days of heightened tension in the Gulf, as Washington weighed a possible military strike on Iran. Trump had already claimed he had paused a planned attack at the request of Gulf leaders, saying Tehran had submitted a fresh peace offer via Pakistan. The on‑off posture left allies, critics and viewers trying to work out whether the United States was edging towards confrontation or simply talking tough for the cameras.
