If you listen to Donald Trump long enough you begin to discern patterns. One of the patterns is that he frequently blurts out the truth along with his usual set of lies and hyperbole. Today was one of those days. He was speaking to reporters at the White House and naturally the burning question of going to war with Iran came up. Read what he said and you’ll see him tell the truth at the end.
“My supporters are more in love with me today, and I’m more in love with them, more than they even were at election time where we had a total landslide,” Trump told reporters as a new flagpole was erected at the White House, with machinery whirring in the background.
“I may have some people that are a little bit unhappy now, but I have some people that are very happy, and I have people outside of the base that can’t believe that this is happening, they’re so happy,” he said.
Trump huddled Tuesday in the Situation Room with his national security team, and on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that the Pentagon was providing Trump with possible options on Iran but would not say whether the military was planning to assist with Israeli strikes.
“I may do it, I may not do it,” Trump said Wednesday, in the exchange with reporters. “I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do.”
That’s the nugget of truth there. “Nobody knows what I’m going to do,” and he should have added, “including me.” Reason: he has no values and no knowledge of either government or foreign policy. So whatever action he takes will be to suit somebody’s agenda and he needs to be persuaded which agenda will benefit him personally the most. That’s it. Whether his decision benefits the people of Iran, or the people of Israel, or the governments of either country, is totally up for grabs. Trump is looking to benefit Trump, first, last and always. And nobody knows who he’s actually listening to, is the truth that he isn’t telling. But he’s listening to somebody and most likely we would all come unglued if we know who that somebody was.
Is he listening to Steve Bannon? This is what Bannon had to say today:
Shortly before Trump spoke, Steve Bannon, one of his 2016 campaign’s top advisers, told an audience in Washington that bitter feelings over Iraq were a driving force for Trump’s first presidential candidacy and the MAGA movement, saying that “one of the core tenets is no forever wars” for Trump’s base.
But Bannon — a longtime Trump ally who served a four-month sentence for defying a subpoena in the congressional investigation into the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021 — went on to suggest that Trump will maintain loyalty from his base no matter what. On Wednesday, Bannon acknowledged that while he and others will argue against military intervention until the end, “the MAGA movement will back Trump.”
Ultimately, Bannon said that Trump will have to make the case to the American people if he wants to get involved in Iran — and he hasn’t done that yet.
“We don’t like it. Maybe we hate it,” Bannon said, predicting what the MAGA response would be. “But, you know, we’ll get on board.”
Maybe or maybe not. Trump is supposed to be the “No Wars” guy and now we’ve seen one of them blow up on his watch and there were two others, Ukraine and Gaza, that supposedly could have been solved with phone calls. That hasn’t happened. For all that we know, Trump might flip a coin.
“He has no values and no knowledge of either government or foreign policy. So whatever action he takes will be to suit somebody’s agenda and he needs to be persuaded which agenda will benefit him personally the most. ”
This!
Shorter Bannon: “Mein Führer, right or wrong.”
“Mein Führer, always right, never wrong.”
There. Fixed it for you.
I think Bannon’s right that MAGA will get on board. Until American troops get sucked in and start dying. And worse, Trump making Bush 43 look like a military and diplomatic genius by comparison. When the steel coffins start arriving at Dover I think MAGA and Trump will go at each other’s throats.
How will anyone know that any coffins are arriving? Drumpf won’t be there and I will guarantee you he’s not going to let any media or press within 100 miles of Dover once his little wars have begun.