White House Insiders Slammed for Enabling 'Catastrophe' in Iran War

Political analyst David Rothkopf criticizes Trump's isolation from advisers and the administration's chaotic foreign policy approach.

Mar. 23, 2026 at 10:50am

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Political analyst David Rothkopf characterized the ongoing Iran war as fundamentally different from previous conflicts due to its origins in President Trump's psychology. Rothkopf attacked White House insiders for allowing Trump to act on his own 'psychosis' without meaningful counsel, leading to a 'catastrophe' with no clear objectives or planning.

Why it matters

The Iran war has already resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and disrupted global oil markets, highlighting the grave consequences of the Trump administration's erratic foreign policy approach driven by the president's personal psychology rather than strategic planning.

The details

Rothkopf, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The DSR Network, emphasized that Trump doesn't listen to advisers and instead 'relies on his gut.' He criticized the lack of people around the president who will say no, and how 'all the guardrails, all the processes, all the systems that have evolved over time to avoid just this kind of catastrophe have been shut down, broken down, run around.' Trump's decision-making has been described as chaotic and unpredictable, with the administration's foreign policy likened to 'following the footsteps of a drunk out of the bar.' Critical vulnerabilities, such as the firing of oil and gas experts and Iran specialists at the State Department and FBI, have further compounded the situation.

  • The Iran war has been ongoing since early 2026.
  • Trump made contradictory statements about Iran's 'unconditional surrender' and potentially 'winding down' operations within a short timeframe on Saturday.

The players

David Rothkopf

A political analyst and CEO/Editor-in-Chief of The DSR Network.

Donald Trump

The President of the United States, whose 'psychosis' and isolation from advisers Rothkopf criticized as driving the Iran war.

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What they’re saying

“This is so different from any other war that we have ever seen, because it is being driven by the psychosis of one individual.”

— David Rothkopf, Political Analyst

“Trump doesn't listen to advisers. As he says, he relies on his gut.”

— David Rothkopf, Political Analyst

“We don't have people around the president who will say no. And even if we did, he wouldn't listen to that. And everybody in Washington knows that. All the guardrails, all the processes, all the systems that have evolved over time to avoid just this kind of catastrophe have been shut down, broken down, run around, and we're left with a decaying, elderly, ignorant, paranoid, vainglorious, deluded commander in chief making it up as he goes along.”

— David Rothkopf, Political Analyst

What’s next

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The takeaway

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