United States President Donald Trump stated that the Houthi rebel group in Yemen is intensifying attacks on infrastructure in Saudi Arabia to raise energy prices ahead of the US midterm elections. On Tuesday, Trump characterized the Houthis as behaving 'very badly' and reiterated his warning that the US might escalate military actions in the Middle East following the elections in November.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, 'They’ve [the Houthis] been silent for a long time, but now they’ve emerged again, probably at the behest of Iran, which is a Failing Nation, with No Navy, No Airforce, the World’s Worst Economy, and 301 percent Inflation, in a very nasty way, hitting Saudi Arabia, and purposefully trying to drive up Oil Prices, probably prior to the US Elections.' He added, 'NOT NICE.'
Trump's previous decision to engage in military action against Iran in February has contributed to rising energy prices and heightened concerns about living costs in the US, where voters will soon determine if the Republican Party retains control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Democrats aim to leverage the president’s low approval ratings and public dissatisfaction with the war and rising costs to gain control of one or both chambers of Congress, potentially obstructing Trump’s legislative agenda.
On Tuesday, Trump remarked that he would 'never forget' the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, suggesting a possible renewal of US military actions after the midterms, which are viewed as a referendum on his potential second term. He stated, 'Somebody should explain to them [the Houthis] that I’m not running in the Elections, I’ve already won, IN A MASSIVE LANDSLIDE, but I’ll be there after the Elections, and I will never forget!'
Recent polls indicate that Trump's military actions against Iran are largely unpopular, with an AP-NORC poll revealing that nearly 70 percent of voters believe the war was not worth fighting. Trump has dismissed negative polling as 'fake' and has cited attendance at his political rallies as evidence of his support.