Taking Donald Trump at his word is always a precarious proposition.
But if we take Trump at his word then we “may” be witnessing an important pivot point in the Trump administration.
Yesterday, in a Rose Garden appearance with Jordan’s King Abdullah, President Trump made some very newsworthy comments about the dangerous series of events playing out in Syria and North Korea.
President Trump has a long history of advocating for the United States to stay out of the Syrian conflict. His nationalist view being that the United States should end its long standing position as the world’s protector and allow other countries to resolve their own problems.
If we are to take the president at his word; Syria’s use of chemical weapons against its own citizens changed Trump’s view: “I will tell you that the attack on children yesterday had a big impact on me…big impact…My attitude toward Syria and Assad has changed very much…You’re talking about a whole different level.”
Trump took time in the presser to once again criticize the Obama administration for drawing a red line against Syria and then failing to back it up. He said that for him Assad’s the chemical weapon attack “crossed many, many lines, beyond a red line, many, many lines.”
Trump refused to say what specifically he intended to do about Assad but he did acknowledge that for all his criticism of the previous administration it was now his responsibility to end the Syrian crises.
Trump also broached the subject of North Korea and how it would be an important part of his summit with China’s President Xi. The two leaders will meet at Trump’s Florida home today.
North Korea has been rapidly advancing its capability to deliver a nuclear payload to US western cities. Trump promised to press the Chinese leader to use his country’s influence over North Korea to rein in its mercurial leader. Trump has said previously that if China will not bring North Korea to heel the United States “will go it alone.”
As I have often said: “I see better than I hear.” It is one thing to talk tough. It’s quite another to put those words into effective action.
Any action that Trump may take against Assad will require crossing swords with his buddy Putin. Russia is Assad’s strongest ally and Russia is generally responsible for propping up the Assad regime against worldwide condemnation. The Trump/Putin “bromance” will be severely tested if Trump’s promise is to morph into action.
Forcing China’s hand against North Korea is also far more difficult than it may sound. China does not want to see the north fall with the result being a unified Korean peninsula beholden to the United States. The US does not want to anger the Chinese who hold a large stake in America’s economy. But the US can no longer sit by and watch North Korea build up a nuclear arsenal capable of reaching the US’ western shores.
Prior to the Rose Garden event President Trump did make a significant move to “normalize” what had been viewed by most knowledgeable White House observers as a dysfunctional clown show.
The Trump administration announced that Senior Advisor Stephen Bannon had been removed from the NSC Principals Committee. According to Fox News; sources within administration informed Fox that Bannon had been put on the committee to keep any eye on Trump’s mercurial former National Security Advisor, Mike Flynn. Now that Flynn had been relieved of his duties and replaced with the steady hand of General McMaster, there was no need for Bannon to remain on the committee.
Any move than diminishes Steve Bannon’s role in anything is a smart move.
But think about the administration’s statement for a minute. You’re telling us that guy you appointed to the critical role of your National Security Advisor is such a loose cannon that you have to assign him a babysitter? Seriously?
I’m not sure stating publically that you believed Michael Flynn needed a babysitter is such a smart move. Particularly when Flynn, who has to be miffed over his firing, has already come out and stated that he will tell all he knows about this White House if granted immunity.
Poking a rabid dog with a stick is never a good idea.
The administration also announced that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Joseph Dunford; Director of National intelligence Dan Coats; CIA Director Mike Pompeo; UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and Energy Secretary Rick Perry were added to the NSC.
Bannon’s appointment to the high level committee had always been a source of criticism. Rightly so. Bannon, a former web-site manager and self-proclaimed Leninist had zero foreign policy or national intelligence experience. The idea of him sitting in on the most highly classified deliberations is mind boggling. Bannon retains his security clearance and can still request to sit in on meetings but his influence in this area has been largely diminished.
The idea that Bannon left the committee because his skills were no longer needed is laughable. In truth Bannon’s roll had been shrinking because Bannon had been the lead in all three of Trump’s failed attempts at governing.
It was Bannon who sold Trump on the notion the Mexicans would pay for his wall. It was Bannon along with zealot Steve Miller who drafted Trump’s failed Muslim ban. And it was Bannon who went up to the Hill to threaten the Freedom Caucus to get in line behind Trump’s health care bill “or else.”
Of course Trump couldn’t get within shouting distance of the media without going off on some wild controversial rant.
Prior to the Rose Garden event Trump called reporters Maggie Haberman and Glenn Thrush into the Oval Office for a chat. There he accused Susan Rice of being a criminal, without offering any shred of evidence to back up his accusation. And he went on a long winded defense of his friend Bill O’Reilly. Fox and O’Reilly have reached out of court settlements totaling $13 million with five women who have accused O’Reilly in stalking and sexual abuse.
So…let’s review. Taking a hard line on Syria, accepting responsibility for ending the Syrian conflict, promising to press China to rein in North Korea, removing Bannon from the NSC Principals Committee and returning experienced serious people to that same Committee…GOOD!
Telling the world that your National Security Advisor needed a minder, publically accusing yet another former administration official of criminality and offering up a public defense of a guy who has settled 5 sexual conduct related claims…BAD!
Overall a good day for the president.
Now let’s see if this heretofore childish, petulant president can follow up his words with action.
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