Trump's in a real bind, his most effective move domestically to get breathing space is to generate a new crisis that draws attention elsewhere so he can do whatever he wants with a minimum of pushback. The problem is that he's not dealing with a domestic audience but with Iran, Israel, and several other countries that don't care about trannies or monuments in Washington. Only one thing matters to them, and he's finding it impossible to maneuver despite his best efforts. Iran has put up giant billboards depicting American planes being shot down, the Israeli parliament is screaming at Netanyahu, and everyone in the world is reminded of his failure whenever they pass a gas station and see that number going up yet again. All he can do is tread water and hope that something somewhere else happens that will let him act in a way that he can frame as a victory.