Trump on 'extraordinarily narrow ledge' as he takes on war at his lowest point: journalist

President Donald Trump has little room to maneuver politically after pushing the nation into war with Iran, according to a veteran journalist.

The 79-year-old president ordered the airstrikes at his lowest approval yet, and early polling shows just one in four Americans approve of the operation, and CNN's Ron Brownstein said that leaves Trump in a perilous position.

"They seem to be staggeringtoward the rationale they'relikely to stick with, which isthis is about degrading theirmilitary capability, nottransforming the country," Brownstein said. "Iwould just say that [as] he starts this war, the president ison an extraordinarily narrowledge in public opinion.Republican voters are with him, Republican legislators arewith him, but there is verylittle tolerance for any cost ofthis whether it's casualties orsimply higher costs at the pump."

Polling shows no appetite for a long-term military operation, even among Republicans, but national security reporter Alexander Ward said it's clear the administration does not yet have a long-term strategy in place.

"Look, this is wartime jazz," said Ward, a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal. "The administration is absolutelyimprovising in real time, andwar is hell, even when you havebest-laid plans and when thingsare going even remotely well."

Host Audie Cornish cut in to marvel at his turn of phrase.

"I've never heard that term,but it's terrifying – wartime jazz," she said.

Ward said the president and administration officials have openly admitted that there's no plan in place for what comes after the weekend bombing raid took out Iran's entire leadership structure.

"They're saying thatopenly, they're, like, quiteliterally admitting that this isall being done in real time," Ward said, "andif you're the American publicyou want to know what thegovernment is doing in yourname, and you want to know thatif you're going to war andyou're risking the lives of American sons and daughters, andit's been six so far, then thatyou actually know what you'reaiming to achieve and in this case, they are literally saying,we'll figure it out as we goalong."

Trump hasn't ruled out sending in U.S. troops and the administration has also reportedly armed Kurdish factions, but the president and his top officials have said they don't know who will step up to take control of the country next.

"The backdrop for allthis, you're eight months frommidterm election with apresident who is starting at hislowest approval rating, really,at any point of his two terms," Brownstein said. "Starting the warat his lowest point in publicapproval, only eight months froman election, undertaking atotally volitional war of choicethat most Americans oppose. Yes, Republicans are in line now, butthe clock is ticking toward November."

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