Iran war proves Trump is still at the ‘concept of a plan’ stage

Trump seemed less than enthusiastic to answer questions about Iran on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump hosted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House on Tuesday, where the two took questions from reporters in the Oval Office. Trump seemed to have far less enthusiasm discussing the ramifications of launching a full-scale military operation against Iran than he had been to announce it.

It was almost as if he embroiled the United States in a new, potentially protracted Middle East conflict without having anything resembling a plan.

“Well, most of the people we had in mind are dead, so you know we had some in mind from that group that is dead,” Trump said when asked his thoughts on what leadership in Iran looked like going forward. “And now we have another group. They may be dead also—based on reports. So I guess you have a third wave coming in. Pretty soon we're not gonna know anybody.”

That doesn’t sound like a detailed strategy at all.

While Trump repeated the White House’s talking points that he’s the most courageous world leader ever, he also casually dismissed soaring oil prices, an economic litmus test he has frequently highlighted. 

“So we have a little high oil prices for a little while,” Trump said. “But as soon as this ends, those prices are going to drop, I believe, lower than even before.”

Having created more questions than answers, Trump appeared eager to end the event, quickly wrapping things up with a justification for the operation that devolved into an attack on Iranians.

“If we don't stop them or if we didn't stop them or if we didn't start—they've been decimated,” Trump began incoherently. “But if we didn't do what we're doing right now, you would have had a nuclear war and they would have taken out many countries because you know what, they're sick people. They're mentally ill, sick people. They're angry. They're crazy. They're sick. Thank you very much.”

Not only does Trump seemed unconcerned about political fallout within his own party, but that he appears detached from the gravity of what is happening itself.