A longtime observer of Donald Trump says the president’s war with Iran may be driven less by strategy than by spectacle.

Author and Trump biographer Michael Wolff claims the conflict has unfolded with little coherent planning, comparing the administration’s decision-making to a reality television show searching for its next dramatic twist.

The result, he argues, is a war whose objectives remain unclear even as the rhetoric escalates.

A presidency played like a stage show

Writing on his Substack, Wolff said Trump is approaching the war the same way he approaches campaign rallies — improvising in real time.

“There is no plan,” Wolff wrote, arguing that the president is driven by a need to remain at the centre of attention. According to the biographer, Trump thrives on unpredictability and sees surprise as a form of political leverage.

That approach, Wolff suggested, may now be shaping military decisions in a conflict with global stakes.

Confusion inside the administration

The improvisation is spilling into public messaging. Wolff pointed to moments when the president’s remarks about the war were quickly “clarified” by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

In interviews, Wolff said the defence chief sometimes appears unsure how to interpret Trump’s statements.

The shifting narrative, he argued, reflects a White House where strategy evolves hour by hour — and where even senior officials may not know what comes next.

Who is really advising the president?

Questions also linger over who is influencing Trump’s decisions.

Journalist Joanna Coles raised the possibility that advice could be coming from a loose mix of aides, military officials, wealthy allies or even the president’s social circle.

Trump himself has offered only broad and ambiguous goals, at one point saying the war should lead to “many years of peace” — but also suggesting it might simply be ended quickly if that proves impossible.

A dangerous cliffhanger

For Wolff, the war resembles a narrative device rather than a carefully constructed strategy.

He argues the president views uncertainty — keeping allies and adversaries guessing — as a personal strength. But critics warn the approach risks turning a volatile conflict into an improvised gamble.

If the war is indeed unfolding minute by minute, the next move may not be planned at all. And in a confrontation with Iran, that uncertainty carries consequences far beyond Washington.

Insider believes Trump went to war out of boredom for a 'cliffhanger'

I remember the end of the meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House after Vance and Trump had conspired to publicly insult Zelenskyy.

Trump turned to the camera and said, 'This is going to be great television.'

The man is a showman, in love with his own acting.

But of course the point is not the war "per se". That is why there are no clear aims, known or declared strategy nor any coherent plan.

The point is to create a huge deflection, a diversion, from the filthy scandals (sexual and corruption) in which this President and by extension his administration wallows...

Pity the apprentices. This is orchestrated courtesy of the Heritage Foundation. Donnie is just a pumped-up patsy.