Good morning and welcome to way too early. The show that's reminding folks, it's election day and some key battlegrounds.

We'll preview the big races taking shape across the country. I'm Laura Barone Lopez in for Ali Vitale on this Tuesday, May 19th.

We'll start with the news. President Trump announced he is once again postponing a planned U.S. military strike on Iran, this time issuing both the threat

and the pullback in a single lengthy true social post. The president wrote yesterday that an attack

was scheduled for today, but he would be holding off, citing requests from Gulf allies,

and what he says are serious negotiations now taking place.

Trump added, however, that he instructed military leadership to be, quote,

prepared to go forward with a full, large-scale assault of Iran on a moment's notice if a deal

isn't reached. He also noted that any deal would include, quote, no nuclear weapons for Iran.

Over the past few weeks, the president has repeatedly issued threats and set deadlines for

Tehran before ultimately backing off, a pattern that has played out at least six times since

last March, since late March, excuse me, he was asked by reporters yesterday about this latest decision.

Well, other countries have come to me and they've said we were getting ready to do a very major attack tomorrow.

I've put it off for a little while, hopefully maybe forever, but possibly for a little while.

Because we've had very big discussions with Iran and we'll see what they amount to.

So I was called by these three countries, plus others, and they're dealing directly with our people and right now, Iran,

and there seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out.

If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I'd be very happy. New polling shows President Trump's approval

ratings sinking amid the unpopular war with Iran. The latest New York Times-Syana poll shows nearly

two-thirds of Americans think going to war was the wrong decision, including almost three quarters of

independent voters, those independent voters are going to be key. And amid rising gas and energy prices,

a majority, 55 percent, said the war was not worth the cost. The poll shows Trump's approval

...