NPR News: 07-16-2026 1PM EDT

Lakshmi Singh· Host0:01

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The White House says it now has another 60-day clock to use military action against Iran without congressional approval. But NPR's Franco Ordoñez explains the greater concern for the president and his inner circle may not be approval from Congress, but from voters as the midterm elections approach.

Franco Ordoñez0:24

Foreign policy rarely dominates midterm elections. This year may be the exception. John McHenry, a Republican pollster with North Star Opinion Research, says exit polls, for example, are less likely to cite the war in Iran as a reason for people's vote and more likely to cite energy prices and the economy, which are driven by the war.

John McHenry· Soundbite0:44

Because gas prices have a ripple effect on everything. Um, prices, you know, at every retail shop and at the grocery store will go up because [laughs] you know, a gallon of milk doesn't walk to the grocery store. It gets driven there by a truck.

Franco Ordoñez0:56

That could change if the war expands and, for example, President Trump commits troops to the conflict, which he's been reluctant to do. Franco Ordoñez, NPR News.

Lakshmi Singh· Host1:07

President Trump has suggested he may address election security in a speech to the nation tonight at 9:00 Eastern. The Republican leader continues to assert claims of voter fraud in his 2020 election loss, despite findings to the contrary from the courts and state elections officials. The administration issued subpoenas to reporters who wrote about security