A shortage of some munitions as well as the problems with the USS Lincoln have the Trump administration on the defensive. Meanwhile, what the latest primaries show about Democratic enthusiasm. And joining us now is NPR senior contributor Ron Elving.
RON ELVING, BYLINE: Good to be with you, Eyder. PERALTA: So, Ron, as we heard, there are problems with various aircraft carriers, and there's also a shortage of surface-to - surface munitions. Planning for this operation in Iran really seems to be in question.
What's the administration been saying about this? ELVING: The Pentagon has been insisting that they had everything they needed and that they can keep the munitions flowing without a problem. Anyone who tells the media anything to the contrary will be, quote, "hunted down," unquote, to quote the president.
So this brings back what we heard in the spring when Iran was closing the Strait of Hormuz. We heard it reported then that the closing of the strait had taken the White House by surprise, and that, too, was angrily denied. We were told the strait had been front and center all along in the planning, and there were threats against those who talked to the media about it then, as now.
But here we are six months in, multiple sources pointing to a diminished U.S. capability in the war zone. The Strait of Hormuz is still constricted, as Tom told us a moment ago. So the reality is affecting economics all over the world, and it's affecting gas prices all over America, and it's affecting voters making choices for the midterms this fall.
PERALTA: Trump has always been very aware of optics and very reluctant to give up a fight, which brings us to his White House ballroom project. Yesterday, his administration asked the Supreme Court to let construction continue while it appeals a lower court order. But this project is not popular with the American public, is it?
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