Donald Trump's contradictory statements about Vice President JD Vance's travel plans and the Iran war have raised questions about coordination inside the White House. Trump was alsoreportedly removed from an Iran war briefingafter an hours-long meltdown, according to a White House leak first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The developments come as an NBC News poll found Trump's approval rating has fallen to 37 per cent, the lowest of his second term.
Earlier this week, Trump made conflicting statements about Vance's whereabouts and travel plans amid the ongoing Iran war negotiations, creating confusion among officials and reporters covering the story.
This past weekend, Trump told ABC News's Jon Karl that Vance would not be travelling to Pakistanfor the second round of Iran peace talks, citing security concerns. 'It's solely a security issue,' Trump said. 'JD's fantastic.'
However, approximately 90 minutes later, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Vance would, in fact, be travelling to Pakistan alongside envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The reversal left reporters and officials uncertain about the administration's position as recently as Sunday morning.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright toldCNN's 'State of the Union'on Sunday that Americans might not see gas prices fall below $3 (£2.35) per gallon until 2027, even with a potential opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump publicly rejected Wright's assessment in a phone interview withThe Hill, saying: 'No, I think he's wrong on that. Totally wrong,' claiming prices would fall as soon as the war ended.
According to a White House leak reported by The Wall Street Journal, senior aides removed Trump from the Situation Room during a critical rescue operation for two downed American airmen, citing his disruptive behaviour during what officials described as an hours-long meltdown. Aides chose instead to brief him separately at key intervals, allowing national security and military leadership to manage the operation directly.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back against the reports, insisting Trump 'remained a steady leader our country needs.' The second airman was successfully rescued late on Saturday.
'Completely lost it': Trump removed from his own White House meeting after emotional breakdown — then insiders leak what really happened behind closed doors and it's worse than anyone thoughthttps://t.co/653P5JTxUk
Trump's approval rating has fallen to 37 per cent, the lowest of his second term,according to an NBC News pollconducted by SurveyMonkey and published on 19 April 2026. The survey found 80 per cent of Gen Z voters believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, with young Republicans contributing significantly to the decline.
Source: International Business Times UK
