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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump faces foreign policy tests he doesnt know how to pass
Posted with permission.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-faces-foreign-policy-tests-he-doesnt-know-how-pass?cid=sm_fb_maddow
Trump faces foreign policy tests he doesnt know how to pass
04/06/17 08:00 AM
By Steve Benen
At a White House press conference yesterday alongside Jordans King Abdullah, Donald Trump was asked about Iranian support for the Syrian regime. The president responded by complaining about the Iran nuclear deal, which in context, didnt make any sense. At the same event, asked about his administrations plans for U.S. policy towards Syria, Trumps answer was even stranger.
Soon after, BuzzFeed reported that officials in Trumps Defense Department were left confused by what, exactly, the president intends to do.
Its one thing when you and I have no idea what Trumps intentions are, but as Rachel explained on the show last night, when officials in his own administration cant figure out what their boss wants to do, theres a much larger problem.
Its not that Trump is implementing the wrong foreign policy. Were dealing with a more alarming dynamic in which the president and his White House team dont seem to have a foreign policy.
Trump is quite clear about two core beliefs: the president is (a) convinced Obamas bad, and (b) committed to some vague sense of toughness. But bumper-sticker slogans do not a foreign policy make.
A Washington Post analysis explained late yesterday, President Trump has made some broad, sweeping promises about foreign policy . But when hes pushed on how, specifically, he aims to achieve his foreign policy goals, hes not very forthcoming.
Of course, even that assessment is predicated on the assumption that Trump knows what he wants to do, but prefers to keep his cards close to his chest. Perhaps the more realistic assumption is that the president doesnt have any cards, doesnt understand the game hes playing, and is simply going through the motions hoping that no one notices he has no idea what hes doing.
Theres no coherent thread tying recent developments together: Trump is picking pointless fights with U.S. allies; hes cozying up to dictators; hes offering mixed signals on Syria; hes raising more questions than answers on North Korea; and hes making a mess of the White House National Security Council.
There are, meanwhile, critically important meetings with the Chinese president in Florida starting today, and by all appearances, Team Trump is already in over its head.
As Rachel noted on the show last night, Whatever you think about the competence of this administration, the world is not waiting for them to get it together. Quite to the contrary, the world is now issuing its first tests.
If only Donald Trump had prepared, he might not be flunking this badly.
Mr. Ected
(9,670 posts)An uninformed and incurious so-called businessman has no business pretending to be the POTUS.
American lives are on the line. EVERYBODY's lives are on the line.
We are so terribly fucked right now.