Where Does It All End?

On President Trump’s threats against Iran

This is classic Trump. The president has endured recent weeks of really bad public relations, so what does he do? He threatens Iran. This shows how tough and resolute he is, a sure winner with his base, while at the same time shifting the focus of attention away from his mounting personal problems at home.

This kind of behavior has now become so predicable that one can set one’s clock by it. Bad week equals new attacks—and threats—against America’s real or imagined enemies. In the meantime, our relations with our friends and allies abroad continue to worsen. Where does it all end?

On President Trump’s method of personal attack

It wasn’t enough for President Trump to simply fire James Comey. He had to take it one step further by accusing of him of being a “showboat” and “grandstander.” Mr. Trump seems never to be able to take action against people without also attacking them personally, calling into question either their patriotism or professional competence, or both. He should follow Will Rogers’s advice: “Never miss a good chance to shut up.”

On President Trump’s international saber rattling

No one should be surprised if within the coming days President Trump embroils us in some sort of international or domestic crisis in order to take the focus off his legal troubles. Either that, or he will simply fire Robert Mueller and prepare to ride out the storm.

The bottom line is that Mr. Trump has a real gift for self-survival and will stop at absolutely nothing, whatever the cost to the country or the Constitution, to ensure that survival. Having thwarted both the law and justice, he will then tweet his satisfaction at seeing the “witch hunt” brought to an end.