In Front of Our Noses: A Liar or an Incompetent?
Why not both?
“To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.”-George Orwell.
For previous entries, click here.
Via The Independent: Trump said no one could have predicted Iranian attacks on other Middle Eastern countries. His advisers had warned him.
“They weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East,” he said Monday at a Kennedy Center board meeting. “Those missiles were set to go after them. So, they hit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait. Nobody expected that. We were shocked.”
Later Monday, when asked whether he was briefed on the possibility, Trump replied: “Nobody, nobody, no, no, no. The greatest experts, nobody thought they were going to hit.”
This is, of course, utter hogwash (to put it politely).
Not only has it been reported that Trump was briefed on the possible outcomes, but it is also inconceivable that the Pentagon would not have wargamed this exact scenario and briefed the president accordingly.
Anyone with a scintilla of understanding of this situation would have known that the Iranian regime would use the Strait of Hormuz as a weapon and that regional escalation was likely. These are two ways that Iran can put pressure on the United States despite the asymmetry in military power.
In case it is not obvious, the goal here is not to militarily defeat the Gulf states; it is to pressure American allies so that they will, in turn, pressure America to stop the war. Further, disrupting global energy is obviously a massive weapon at Iran’s disposal.
Trump was certainly told all of this and more.
So, it is simply the case that Trump is lying to cover his own incompetence and to try to deflect the blame that he richly deserves for the current predicament he has created.
This should matter more than it does. But it seems important to, for the record at least, underscore that he is brazenly lying to us about a war of choice that has unleashed chaos and death on the region, including the deaths of 13 US servicemembers (as of this writing).
This basic formulation is not new. For example, back in his first term in 2017: “Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated.” He said similar things over time about issues like the COVID pandemic and dealing with North Korea.
But, of course, he really doesn’t care about empirical data or the informed views of experts. When recently asked about how he would know when the war was over, here’s what he said.
“When are you going to know when it’s over?” Kilmeade asked.
“When I feel it,” Trump said. “When I feel it in my bones.”
A liar who does not trust experts is going on feelings to make major, globe-changing decisions.
That makes me feel better about all of this!
Meanwhile, The Economist pithily makes a point:
Although President Donald Trump says he has “destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military Capability”, the 0% that remains is playing havoc with the global economy by choking off 10-15% of its oil supply.
I would say that nobody could have known that he would be this dangerous a president, but that would be a lie that would contradict what a lot of experts said would come to pass.
I guess I am just a weirdo who thinks expertise should have a place in decision-making, including in deciding who should be elected to the highest office in the land.
This is all exasperating and exhausting.
I would note that the Strait issue is a pivot point that could either lead to Trump going the TACO route or escalating by deploying troops to secure it.
Let conclude by returning to the Independent piece linked above and a bit of bonus fabulism from the President:
“I’ve spoken to a certain president, who I like, actually,” he said. “A past president, a former president. He said, ‘I wish I did it.’ But they didn’t do it. I’m doing it.”
Trump declined to identify the former president: “I can’t tell you that. I don’t want to embarrass him. It would be very bad for his career, even though he’s got no career.”
Just for the record, the only other living Presidents are Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Biden. The only possible candidate on that list is Bush, and to be honest, I am not seeing George “that was some weird shit” Bush talking to Trump.
But sure, whatever you say, sir.
Claiming that Trump is lying is giving him credit for actually knowing the truth. I think it is far more likely that he is deeply delusional – that he believes his own bullsh*t, and that his malignant narcissism makes it impossible for him to step outside of the fantasy world he has created for himself. As serious advisers learned long ago, the only reason to brief Trump is to cover your own ass.
Well, on the “former President” thing, he could have been talking to himself I guess. Or president of something else, like maybe the local Lion’s club, or the president of the Florida Bar, perhaps.
It is beyond belief that we are having these types of discussions. He is an incompetent doofus.
@Charley in Cleveland: This is typically my position, actually. I tend to think of him more as a bullshitter than a liar.
But we know he was told all of this stuff recently, so I think liar is accurate, to go along with bullshitter.
@Jen: Indeed. He talked to 45 in the mirror.
Before becoming president, the felon was closest to Clinton of the ex prez, but it is not likely that he would have said that and after Bush’s experience in Iraq, I highly doubt it.
“Nobody ever knew water is wet!11!!!11111”
I can also picture this scene:
High ranking officer: We need to wrap this up in a week, two max, before Iran can damage our allies in the region, or close the Strait of Hormuz to international traffic. Or, as an alternative, we would need to land large numbers of troops to go after their missiles and drones.
Taco: Have you seen the pictures of the bigbeutifulballroom? Ibuildthebestballroomsmanypoeplesaythat.
I do not think the President needs to be an expert. I think he does need to listen to experts, particularly when they describe possible/probable consequences of proposed actions.
The thesis of Trump’s candidacy, though, is “those ‘experts’ don’t know anything and are messing everything up for us normal people. They don’t have a lick of common sense”.
So this is a very natural consequence. Not just of Trump, but the whole MAGA movement. Also epidemics, starvation, and murders by government agents. It all comes from the contempt of experts and professionals.
An F-35 flying a mission over Iran was forced to make an emergency landing. The assumption is that it was hit by Iranian fire. Which is not supposed to happen. Official statement says pilot is ‘stable’ and the plane landed safely.
Until someone from the Pentagon (or from the National Intelligence Program or NSA) summons the balls to say, “Oh no, we did brief POTUS on these possible outcomes, he just chose to follow his gut,” it must be conceivable that he wasn’t briefed or was deliberately misinformed.
That’s the problem with all the sycophancy. These government professionals have a choice to appear loyal to a clown or incompetent in their area of expertise. Until such time as they find their voice to share their analysis, who are we to assume they are any smarter and well-informed than Trump?
At some point, you’d think one of these “greatest experts” would get tired of being humiliated.
@Charley in Cleveland:
True. And also, Trump’s claiming to know the truth when he doen’t — while he deliberately rejects, ignores, and actively discredits facts — is itself a lie. So Trump is liar on that score either way.
President Trump told Lesley Stahl he bashes press ‘to demean you and discredit you so … no one will believe’ negative stories about him (CNBC)
By his own admission, the pedo president’s misdirections are an active strategic choice. His dissemination of disinformation and rejection of reality a deliberate tactic, in addition their interplay with his narcissistic delusions. Trump is a malevolent pathological liar. And grossly incompetent.
@Scott F.:
I think it’s entirely possible Hesghte, Tulsi, et. al. instructed their underlings not to bother El Taco with details he’s not suited to comprehend. Or to tell him that yes, Iran could close off Hormuz, but that’s very unlikely; a worst case scenario that can’t possibly happen.
It’s even more likely he was too busy napping to take a briefing or two dozen.
It depends what the meaning of “told” is. I expect Trump does at least 50% of the talking at any private discussion just as he does in public, while drifting off into a world of his own when others have the floor (he called cabinet meetings “pretty boring,” saying he shut his eyes because he “wanted to get the hell outta here”). So it’s quite likely he either didn’t pay attention to any sugestions his Historic Decision was flawed, or didn’t even hear them as anything more than white noise he wished would stop. Within a few days, he could believe quite sincerely that everyone had agreed with what he’d said in the meeting.