Wednesday's speech was "ineffective", dissatisfied with "media coverage", and frustrated over the "consequences of war"! Trump is considering a "major reshuffle" of the cabinet.

The political costs of the Iran war continue to mount, and the Trump administration is facing its most severe internal pressure test since the beginning of its term, with a new wave of cabinet upheaval brewing.

According to media reports on the 5th citing five informed sources, Trump is considering a broader cabinet reshuffle after the removal of Attorney General Bondi this week. The media cited insiders saying that National Intelligence Director Gabbard and Commerce Secretary Lutnick are both facing potential risks of dismissal. The White House spokesperson responded publicly, stating that Trump maintains "full confidence" in both.

The direct trigger for this discussion of reshuffling was Trump’s nationwide televised address on April 1st. Multiple White House officials privately believe the speech was "ineffective"—it failed to provide an exit for the war or address voters' economic anxieties. The latest Reuters poll shows Trump's overall approval rating has dropped to a term low of 36%, with 60% of respondents opposing the U.S. and Israel launching the war.

Speech falls short, cabinet shakeup talks heat up

Reportedly, Trump and his speechwriting team, along with his core advisors, prepared the prime-time speech for Wednesday. Staff had repeatedly pushed him to address the nation directly on the U.S. role in the Iran war. However, the outcome disappointed the White House.

"The speech didn't meet expectations," said one White House official. In the address, Trump neither offered an exit strategy for the war—now ongoing for five weeks since it began on February 28—nor responded directly to voters' economic concerns, merely calling the pain "temporary," while placing blame on Tehran.

A senior White House official said the speech was meant to "demonstrate a sense of control and confidence over the direction of the war," but the result was the opposite, reinforcing external views that the White House needs to adjust its message strategy or personnel arrangements. "Wouldn't a decisive reshuffle be good?" remarked another official.

According to media citing insiders, Trump is highly dissatisfied with media coverage of the Iran war and has made clear to his team he wants more positive reporting, though he has not indicated any intention to change his own public relations strategy.

Gabbard and Lutnick under pressure, White House denies rumors of dismissal

Reports say that after the departures of Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Gabbard and Lutnick have been named by several insiders as potential candidates for the next round of departures.

Regarding Gabbard, a senior White House official revealed that Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with her multiple times in recent months; another insider said Trump has solicited opinions from allies about potential replacements. Notably, Gabbard is a well-known long-time opponent of U.S. overseas military intervention. Last June, she released a video criticizing "warmongers among political elites," right on the eve of Trump's first military action against Iran, which displeased the White House.

As for Lutnick, several external Trump allies are pushing privately for his removal, partly due to ongoing exposure of his relationship with Epstein. Documents released earlier this year show Lutnick dined with Epstein on his Caribbean private island in 2012. Lutnick responded that he had "almost no contact" with Epstein, attributing the lunch to merely passing by the area by boat. In fact, some Trump allies began pushing for Lutnick's dismissal after last April’s chaotic rollout of global tariff policy.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement that Trump maintains "full confidence" in Gabbard and Lutnick, adding that they have "achieved historic victories together for the American people."

"Bondi won’t be the last," reshuffle timing might be set before midterms

Despite official White House denials, the media, citing multiple insiders, said there has been a marked increase in seriousness about reshuffle discussions in recent weeks. A senior White House source said Trump hopes to make major personnel changes with enough time ahead of the November midterms. "Put it this way, from what I've heard, Bondi won't be the last," another White House official said.

However, Trump may ultimately choose to hold off. Several insiders pointed out that frequent personnel changes during his first term dominated public discourse and fostered impressions of White House chaos, making Trump wary of overly frequent cabinet shakeups. A White House official said the expected changes would be "targeted replacements" rather than "large-scale, dramatic restructuring."

Still, some believe holding off now carries its own political risks. Data shows the Iran war has pushed up oil prices, dragged down Trump's approval ratings, and increased Republican worries in the run-up to the midterm elections. "Voters can tolerate ideological rhetoric, but rising oil prices are something they feel directly," a White House official said.

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