The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.

Trump has restarted and escalated his endless Iran War in a flurry of death, lawlessness and stupidity. The U.S. is again bombing Iranian civilian targets. Trump ignores the old adage: “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” The war will not reverse his low and declining poll numbers or help Republicans in the midterm elections. Why? War-induced inflation. The cost of diesel fuel and gas at the pump are rising. U.S. reserves will not stop rising oil prices as the reserves “are now at their lowest levels since 1983” (NYT). Farmers especially will be hit hard. Meanwhile, U.S. mortgage rates soar.

Trump pretends none of this matters. While campaigning in Wisconsin last month Trump said: “Too much emphasis is placed on inflation.” Moreover, Trump keeps telling the financial wizards to ignore reality, all will be well. He also claims that the issue of “affordability” is a “con job”, invented by Democrats. However, sometimes Trump lets the cat out of the bag: “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation.”

There’s worse: “The death toll of America’s aggression, here and abroad, piles up: some three-quarters of a million in one year due to (Trump’s) cuts to foreign aid …, thousands in Lebanon and Iran because of wars started by the Unites States, dozens in ICE detention and at least three (now four) that we know of, killed by the guns of America’s immigration officers. These deaths (include) at least 175 civilians (many of them children) at a girls’ school in Iran …” (Washington Post columnist Philip Kennicott).

Then there are U.S. military casualties: 17 dead and 418 wounded. Among the first U.S. casualties were troops at a U.S. base in Kuwait. They had complained to no avail that they “lacked adequate defenses against drones …” (Washington Post). The Iranian attack killed six and wounded more. “Soldiers who were wounded said the military’s medical system failed them. … they had not been screened for brain injuries or other internal wounds” (Washington Post). The wounded troops, some with Wisconsin family connections, contacted Wisconsin Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin.

Baldwin “demanded action from the Administration to get these servicemembers care” (Baldwin press release). It should never have come to that. Shame on Defense Secretary Hegseth, fixated on testing for testosterone. Baldwin stood up for troops regardless of what state they are from or who they voted for.

Baldwin has voted against the Iran War, but never the troops. Moreover, Baldwin helped lead the Senate to join the House in finally passing a resolution to end the war. A few congressional Republicans joined all Democrats to end the war. Trump continues to ignore the will of the Congress and acts as an ill-informed, lawless king.

Wisconsin congressional Republicans have all voted for the Iran War multiple times. They act like Trump sycophants. The worst are Senator Ron Johnson, Representatives Tom Tiffany and Derrick Van Orden. They demean Iran War opponents and hold tightly to the magical conviction that this catastrophe will somehow have a good ending.

Kaplan wrote a guest column from Washington, D.C., for the Wisconsin State Journal from 1995 – 2009.