WATCH: Thousands of Iraqi protesters furious over deadly U.S. airstrikes storm the American Embassy in Baghdad, breaking down doors and setting fires https://t.co/zS7HQXjDyF pic.twitter.com/MO3UnaG06q
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 31, 2019
There isn't a lot that feel optimistic about, because ultimately, this is situation in in the hands of the Trump Administration, and I just have doubts about their priorities and especially where Trump's head is. Trump isn't strategic, he's reactionary. Trump's blowing up of the Iran deal wasn't strategic, for example, but because it was "Obama's plan" (even if it was a multilateral deals years in the making). Abandoning the Kurds to Turkey showed no strategy. And there's a real risk things can get worse because, as a wise person once said, "he can be baited with a Tweet."
So what kind of provocation does this look like to someone who already has other things on his mind?
The Democrats will do anything to avoid a trial in the Senate in order to protect Sleepy Joe Biden, and expose the millions and millions of dollars that “Where’s” Hunter, & possibly Joe, were paid by companies and countries for doing NOTHING. Joe wants no part of this mess!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019
That was what was on his mind first thing this morning. He might be a little bit wrong about the benefit of a trial with witnesses to himself given the recent New York Times story that goes deep on Mulvaney, Pompeo and others in his inner circle knowing about his intention to stop the aid to Ukraine, and might not be fully mindful that the results of the dismissal of the Kupperman case regarding subpoenas means that Bolton et als are more likely to be compelled to testify, but that's because, I think, Trump has never internalized that he really can be found at fault for his own foul-ups, that they can be indelible and have lasting effects.
That's bad enough for a person reckoning with the political results of his conduct. But as for the results of his conduct with respect to our relationships with other countries, and the mission of our military and diplomatic forces? I wish there was more evidence that he thought hard and long about such things. He's not the one who directly catches the blowback.
UPDATE: You can see his eyes are really on the ball, here:
Remember when Pelosi was screaming that President Trump is a danger to our nation and we must move quickly. They didn’t get one Republican House vote, and lost 3 Dems. They produced no case so now she doesn’t want to go to the Senate. She’s all lies. Most overrated person I know!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019
Not the little white ball he wanted to smack around the greens today, but the Senate trial he is demanding. And if that how he wants it, well? I reckon he'll get it.
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