One after another, President Trump's top advisers insisted the bombing of Iran wasn't intended to topple the regime. Vice President JD even claimed (ludicrously) that the United States isn't at war with Iran; we're at war with Iran's nuclear facilities.
But then President Trump called it all a lie. "If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN," he posted on social media, "why wouldn’t there be a Regime change?”
Say what you want about his decision enter Israel's war with Iran, Trump's inconsistency and vacillation are not the traits of a strong leader. The country won’t unite behind a wartime president who lacks a clear and steady strategy for victory.
Furthermore, toppling the regime in Iran is a complicated and dangerous proposition. It's not an idea a commander in chief should be market testing on social media.
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The New York Times tick tock on Trump’s decision to wage war against Iran reveals him to be an undisciplined and dangerous blabbermouth addicted to Fox News and the cinematic drama of war.
Here a some of its more damning details:
“… [M]ilitary planners began to worry that Mr. Trump was giving Iran too much warning about an impending strike.”
“The president, said one military official, was the ‘biggest threat to opsec,’ or operational security, that the planning faced.”
“While the ‘two weeks’ statement bought the president more time for last-minute diplomacy, military officials said that ruse and the head fake with the B-2s also had the effect of cleaning up a mess — the telegraphing of the attack — that was partly of the president’s making.”
Later that day, Mr. Trump asked an ally how the Israeli strikes were “playing.”
“The president was closely monitoring Fox News, which was airing wall-to-wall praise of Israel’s military operation and featuring guests urging Mr. Trump to get more involved. Several Trump advisers lamented the fact that (Tucker) Carlson was no longer on Fox, which meant that Mr. Trump was not hearing much of the other side of the debate.”
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