In the third week of the joint US-Israeli war against Iran, Donald Trump faces decisions that could define the rest of his presidency.
But if the American commander-in-chief is grappling with a war of choice that seems in danger of spiraling in ways he can't control, those concerns are not playing out in public.
In more than an hour of public remarks at the White House on Monday, he discussed his thinking on the state of the war effort - and also on Kennedy Center renovations, White House ballroom construction plans, this year's World Cup tournament, the health of a Republican congressman and a host of other unrelated topics.
It was classic Trump, as unscripted and wide-ranging as ever. This past weekend, he played golf at his Florida resort. And on his Truth Social website, he devoted nearly as much time to railing about the Supreme Court as he did to discussing the Iran War.
While Trump may be interested in other topics, he is confronting a lesson previous American presidents have learned the hard way - that war can consume a presidency whether they want it to or not.
And evidence continues to mount that a war that Trump had previously said was 'already won' and 'very complete' now has a timeline that could stretch for weeks or even longer.
On Monday afternoon, Trump announced that the US had requested that a planned presidential trip to China in early April be delayed for a month because of the war.
The president's utmost responsibility right now as commander-in-chief is to ensure the continued success of Operation Epic Fury, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said when the move was first reported, referring to the military name for the Iran war.
Over the weekend, the president posted on social media that he was forming a coalition of forces to help protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been threatened by Iranian attacks.
However, a growing list of nations, including Japan, Australia and many European powers, have indicated that they are not interested in joining the effort. The UK Prime Minister stated that they will not be drawn into the wider war but may consider a viable collective plan to address the situation.
This leaves Trump with the challenging decision of whether to commit the US Navy to securing a critical waterway through which 20% of the world's oil supply passes.
He noted that the US was destroying Iran's minelaying ships but acknowledged the threat remains prevalent.
Trump's options are fraught with risk: expanding military engagement could place US forces in greater danger, while failing to act may allow Iran to maintain its threats leading to potential spikes in oil prices, which could politically harm him at home.
As the situation unfolds, Trump's ability to navigate these pressing issues will be crucial for both his presidency and the country's direction in foreign policy.
