President Trump is considering further adjustments to his cabinet, but based on current public information, the internal discussions at the White House are more inclined towards "targeted replacements" rather than a complete overhaul. Reuters, citing informed sources, stated that after the dismissal of Attorney General Bondy, Trump did evaluate whether to continue adjusting his team, with National Intelligence Director Gabbard and Commerce Secretary Luteinick being mentioned in internal discussions. However, the White House later clearly stated that Trump still maintains "full confidence" in both individuals.
The backdrop of these personnel changes is the ongoing conflict with Iran, high oil prices, and increasing domestic political pressure. Reuters' analysis indicates that Trump's national televised speech on April 1 failed to effectively calm market and voter sentiments. Although he emphasized progress in U.S. military actions, he did not provide a clear path for exiting the conflict and left open the possibility for further escalation, keeping external concerns about the conflict's outlook and economic impact fermenting.
The change in poll numbers is a significant indicator of the rising pressure on the White House. According to a Reuters/Ipsos survey, 66% of American respondents want the U.S. to end the war with Iran as soon as possible, even if it means not fully achieving the government's goals; additionally, 60% oppose military strikes against Iran. Meanwhile, Trump's overall approval rating has dropped to 36%, marking a new low during his current term.
The political cost of the conflict is also being translated into everyday life through energy prices. Reuters reports that following Trump's April 1 speech, market concerns over the situation in the Strait of Hormuz intensified, and the average U.S. retail gasoline price rose above $4 per gallon. Analysts predict that if supply disruptions persist, oil and diesel prices could continue to rise in the coming weeks. This cost pressure is becoming one of the most challenging risks for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections in November.
Judging by the signals currently being sent from the White House, Trump is reluctant to repeat the frequent large-scale personnel changes of his first term. Reuters says that his advisory team, on one hand, advocates making partial adjustments to "stop the bleeding" and improve external messaging and internal coordination; on the other hand, they worry that too much action might again reinforce the public's impression of a chaotic administration. In other words, the real consideration for the White House is not whether to immediately shuffle the whole cabinet, but whether to make limited personnel changes to alleviate the political pressure from the Iran conflict, rising oil prices, and low poll numbers.
If the conflict shows no signs of cooling and energy prices continue to remain high, then internal personnel discussions at the White House are likely to continue. However, at this stage, defining it as a "large-scale cabinet reshuffle is imminent" seems too premature. A more accurate statement would be that Trump is reassessing his administration team under pressure, and whether to actually make further changes still depends on battlefield developments, market reactions, and changes in public opinion in the weeks ahead.
