I Wish I Could Believe Him

I wish I could believe him. 

The way Trump has explained his decision to halt the planned attack on Iran this week, his actions were, on their face, admirable. If you know anything about me, you know that my using the word, “admirable” in connection with Trump is like my wearing a Red Sox cap to a Yankee game. 

His explanation sounds like he made a rational, even humanistic judgment. Who’d-a-thunk-it? I wish I could believe him. But, how can I?

This man’s relationship with the truth is even more strained than his relationship with salad bars. That I need not even explain why I say that, is proof that I’m right. 

Was he really not told by his advisers how many people would die until the mission was ready to go?  Others, unlike me, who have been involved in these things, say that it doesn’t work like that. They say that casualty estimates are the very first thing that is described whenever a mission like that is proposed.  Should I believe them or should I believe the liar?

And then there is the other part of his record, not his lying but his bait and switch – what organized crime calls a La Baca. That’s when you create a problem and then sweep in, remove it, and then take credit for solving it.  He’s done it over and over.  He was going to impose ridiculous tariffs on Mexico, and then he didn’t.  He was going to order a massive non-judicial sweep of undocumented persons this week, and then he didn’t.  And he said he was going to attack Iran, but then he didn’t.  Was he ever really going to do any of those things? 

I once threatened to make a contribution to the NRA, but then I didn’t.  Thank you very much.

So, I’m prevented from believing the President because of the President. And so are we all. And that’s tragic.