President Donald Trump and those close to him are increasingly aware that the longer the Iran war stays in the headlines, the more he risks long-term damage to his legacy. Right now, the concern is near-term: Trump is stuck in a stalemate with Iran that threatens to tank Republicans’ chances in the midterms. “Let me refer you to Jimmy Carter,” as one person close to Trump put it, referencing the Iranian hostage crisis that undercut the former president in 1980. Some Trump allies are hoping that if the administration can’t end the war, it can at least lower the public’s interest. the person close to Trump argued.