It was a manic-depressive episode that unfolded in just half a day.
President Trump was in a celebratory mood late Monday when he announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire within 24 hours–a development that, let’s face it, few thought was possible.
"CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE!" he posted.
This, he proclaimed, would mark "an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR" and "will be saluted by the World. During each CEASEFIRE, the other side will remain PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL."
He even closed with this: "God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD!"
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Well, that was then. By early yesterday morning, Trump was furious. There were violations of the shaky ceasefire by both sides, with an Iranian missile killing at least four Israelis in an apartment building. But Trump was particularly angry with the bigger barrage by Israel, as if he had been betrayed, demanding that Bibi Netanyahu and his leaders "cool down."
Trump dropped an F-bomb on both countries, saying they "don’t know what the f--- they’re doing."
They had spoiled his scenario. An achievement that would have put him on the path for a Nobel Prize, given the hostile relations between the terror state and the Jewish state, which has fought several wars against Iranian proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, since its founding in 1948. Unless the Norwegian academy is too liberal to ever bestow such an honor on a Trump. (A GOP congressman has just nominated him.)
If you’re feeling a little whiplash, you’re not alone. After all, it was just a few days ago that Trump said he’d decide "within two weeks" whether to launch an attack on Iran. That and other deceptions made it seem like nothing was imminent.
Then there was the strange detour about "regime change" – why not call it that? – and saying the administration knew where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was hiding.
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But that went against the company line that we were only at war with Iran’s nuclear program, pushed by JD Vance and others.
That in turn was superseded by Trump announcing he had secured a ceasefire with Israel and Iran – which was news to the vice president as he sat down with Fox’s Bret Baier.
The undeniable success of the mission has muted the criticism of many Democrats and liberals, who are constitutionally incapable of praising Trump while accusing him of violating the Constitution. (The issue of congressional consultation is legit, but we can’t have 535 commanders-in-chief – and Joe Biden and Barack Obama took similar unilateral actions.)
AOC, as a leading example, has called for Trump’s impeachment – and the president has unloaded on her. The posting:
"Stupid AOC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the ‘dumbest’ people in Congress, is now calling for my Impeachment, despite the fact that the Crooked and Corrupt Democrats have already done that twice before. The reason for her ‘rantings’ is all of the Victories that the U.S.A. has had under the Trump Administration. The Democrats aren’t used to WINNING, and she can’t stand the concept of our Country being successful again. When we examine her Test Scores, we will find out that she is NOT qualified for office."
Test scores? Not qualified? Ocasio-Cortez graduated from Boston University, where she double-majored in international relations and economics. And since when is there an educational standard for the presidency?
There’s more: "What a disaster it was! AOC should be forced to take the Cognitive Test that I just completed at Walter Reed Medical Center…
"Alexandria should go back home to Queens, where I was also brought up, and straighten out her filthy, disgusting, crime ridden streets, in the District she ‘represents,’ and which she never goes to anymore."
AOC responded on X: "Mr. President, don’t take your anger out on me – I’m just a silly girl…
"Take it out on whoever convinced you to betray the American people and our Constitution by illegally bombing Iran and dragging us into war. It only took you 5 months to break almost every promise you made."
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This is all symbolic, as Ocasio-Cortez well knows, but plays well with her left-wing base. Yesterday, in fact, the House voted to table an impeachment resolution, with 128 Democrats – more than half – joining all Republicans in deep-sixing it.
In the end, POTUS appeared to get the ceasefire back on track. Trump called Netanyahu and said that "our U.S. military did what we needed to do," a senior White House official told the Washington Post. "I wouldn’t say the prime minister enthusiastically agreed, but he understood that President Trump is no longer going to be militarily involved in this conflict."
Bibi soon announced that he would respect the ceasefire as long as the other side does, and Iran’s president made similar comments.
Trump, before flying off to the NATO summit at The Hague, turned his anger on the press.
He said of the underground nuclear enrichment site called Fordow: "I think it’s been completely demolished. I think the reason we’re here is because those pilots, those B-2 pilots, did an unbelievable job.
"And, you know, the fake news, like CNN in particular, they’re trying to say, ‘Well, I agree that it was destroyed, but maybe not that destroyed.’
"You know what they’re doing? They’re really hurting great pilots that put their lives on the line! CNN is SCUM! And so is MSDNC.
"And frankly, the networks aren’t much better. It’s all fake news, but they should not have done that.
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"Those pilots hit their targets. Those targets were obliterated, and the pilots should be given credit. They’re not after the pilots. They’re after me. They want to try and demean me."
He also dragged in Brian Roberts, head of MSNBC’s parent company, which Trump called "Con"cast.
But his demand that the two networks apologize to the pilots doesn’t hold water. They were brave regardless of the impact of their 30,000-pound payloads. All CNN and MSNBC did was air stories questioning the level of damage, particularly at Fordow.
Trump’s contention was further undermined by this New York Times exclusive:
"A preliminary classified U.S. report says the American bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites sealed off the entrances to two of the facilities but did not collapse their underground buildings, according to officials familiar with the findings.
"The early findings conclude that the strikes over the weekend set back Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months, the officials said.
That, my friends, is the fog of war.