I must admit, I was surprised. Throughout my lifetime, I’ve considered Donald Trump to be the weakest president in terms of principle and character. Yet, I didn’t truly expect him to set himself up so spectacularly to prove it to the world. But that’s exactly what unfolded recently, in a series of events that can only be described as head-spinning.
The Ultimatum, The Bluster, and The Retreat
It began with a social media post, as so many things do with this presidency. An ultimatum to the Iranians: open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, or the US would “obliterate” Iran’s energy infrastructure. “Open it up,” he declared, “without threat … from this exact point in time.”
Iran’s response was swift and equally threatening: if the US followed through, they would target the energy infrastructure of all surrounding countries, further deepening the global energy crisis that many argue Trump himself initiated with his unilateral actions against Iran.
By early Monday, the bravado had vanished. Trump, again via social media, announced that, following his 48-hour ultimatum, the US and Iran had engaged in “COMPLETE AND TOTAL RESOLUTION OF OUR HOSTILITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST.” He claimed these “IN DEPTH, DETAILED, AND CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS” had led him to “INSTRUCTED THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR TO POSTPONE ANY AND ALL MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN POWER PLANTS AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A FIVE DAY PERIOD.”
Only, there were no talks. Iran’s Foreign Ministry quickly debunked the claim, stating, “Remarks by the US president are part of efforts to reduce energy prices and buy time to implement his military plans.” They clarified that while some regional initiatives for de-escalation existed, Iran’s stance was clear: “It did not start the war and all such requests should be directed to Washington.”
So, to recap: Trump issues a threat. Iran issues its own. He backs down, but fabricates a story about ongoing talks. Iran exposes the lie, effectively positioning itself as the more honest broker amidst a leader who appears to have lost control of a conflict he initiated.
“Peace Through Strength” — Or Weakness?
The president’s recurring mantra has always been “be strong.” Whether discussing “illegal aliens,” international trade, or military conflict, his answer remains constant: “We have to be strong,” he asserted during a recent State of the Union address, “because hopefully we will seldom have to use this great power that we built together. It’s really called peace through strength. That has been very, very effective.”
Yet, the situation with Iran tells a different story. Trump is attempting to apply the same bullying tactics he uses with allies and friends, both domestically and abroad, only to discover that a highly determined enemy cannot be so easily intimidated. If peace is to be found – if he eventually ends his war – it appears it will be achieved through weakness, not strength. And little Iran seems poised to prove it.
A Week of Whirling Chaos
While every day brings new revelations of Trump’s peculiar leadership, the last few days have been particularly startling. Before his ultimatum even expired, he pivoted, declaring “now with the death of Iran, the greatest enemy America has is the Radical Left, Highly Incompetent Democrat Party!”
Then there’s this bewildering sequence compiled by Gold and Geopolitics from a single press gaggle:
- 12:03 PM: President Trump told reporters he wanted a ceasefire with Iran.
- 12:05 PM: He declared victory.
- 12:07 PM: He announced he was sending Marines.
- 12:08 PM: He said no boots on the ground.
- 12:11 PM: He said he did not want a ceasefire.
- 12:16 PM: He declared victory again.
- 12:17 PM: He asked for a ceasefire.
- 12:23 PM: He told NATO they were cowards.
- 12:29 PM: He said Iran was begging for a ceasefire.
- 12:31 PM: He said everything was perfect.
- 12:36 PM: He said $500 oil was a good thing.
- 12:37 PM: He demanded Iran open Hormuz.
- 12:39 PM: He said Hormuz was never closed.
- 12:41 PM: He said the US was not at war with Iran.
- 12:42 PM: He declared victory in Iran.
Some might argue he’s merely manipulating markets, and to a narrow extent, that’s likely true. It’s one of the few levers he has left. With the Strait of Hormuz, Iran clearly has him over a barrel. To prevent “economic pain” from escalating to intolerable levels, he resorts to lies. And for now, those lies seem to be holding the line.
Beyond Weakness of Character: A Question of Capacity?
However, the sheer volume of lies and chaos compels us to look beyond typical explanations. Yes, he’s manipulating markets. Yes, he remains, in my view, the weakest president ever. But we are now talking about something more profound than mere weakness of character. We’re facing the uncomfortable possibility of a weakness of the brain.
The commander-in-chief is 79 years old. Former General Paul Eaton, who trained combat troops during the Iraq War, observed that watching Trump consider a possible ground invasion to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was like witnessing a “malignant narcissist who is drifting into a state of dementia that is difficult to manage.”
MS Now’s Matt Fuller rightly questioned the double standard: if Joe Biden’s age was a fair topic for discussion regarding his capacity, why isn’t the same scrutiny applied to Trump, given his recent behavior?
Iker Seisdedos, a Washington-based correspondent for El Pais, interviewed three cognitive specialists who all agreed: “the deterioration of [Biden and Trump] is not comparable. The argument essentially boils down to this: Biden was aging, very much and very quickly; Trump is developing dementia.”
Setting aside the specifics of cognitive decline, and the perplexing silence of the Washington press corps on his increasingly evident deficits, we know the story Donald Trump himself would tell if a Democratic president were in his shoes. The old and weak president is losing, because he’s old and weak. “We have to be strong,” he would thunder.
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