What Is Going On Inside Trump’s Head

In a dramatic barrage of posts, President Trump announced that the United States would declare a "total victory" over the Iranian regime within two weeks, and also promised a sharp drop in global oil prices. "Iran will not have nuclear weapons, literally. They must not have them," Trump declared. "I think we are winning this campaign, but the real victory will be achieved over the next two weeks when we declare total victory." However, the president’s sudden optimism stands in complete contrast to the renewed U.S. strikes in Iran following the downing of the American helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, raising pointed questions about the long-term strategy of the U.S. administration and the man leading it.

Trump posted on his social network a famous quote from the drama series "The West Wing" (created by Jewish screenwriter Aaron Sorkin). In the quoted scene, the fictional President Jed Bartlet, who, ironically, belongs to the Democratic Party, asks his cabinet what the point of a "proportional response" is, and instead demands that America’s enemies be utterly destroyed for harming Americans. Such a cultural reference in the middle of a serious real-world crisis led political commentators in the United States to question the ability to predict the outcome of the administration’s decision-making process. The contradictory messages, ranging from promises of an imminent diplomatic victory to quotes preaching all-out war, leave international allies and global markets in a tense and unpredictable state of waiting.

Despite the underlying tensions, Trump is confidently predicting that an end to the deadlock will bring enormous global economic benefits. "Oil prices will drop dramatically, and that will happen soon," Trump promised, directly linking the geopolitical pressure on Tehran to broader macroeconomic relief. By contrast, when asked by Sky News reporters whether the United States would support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if Israel decided to intervene militarily in the conflict with Iran, Trump expressed skepticism that any further escalation would take place. "I don’t think that’s going to happen, because everything is going very well and Iran is doing what it needs to do," Trump said.

The growing Israeli frustration with Trump’s foreign policy received a surprising satirical response in the daily "Red Alert" segment on the Srugim website. In the daily edition, the day after the ceasefire agreement that Trump imposed on Israel and Iran following a third round of fighting that lasted 17 hours, the host addressed Trump in English and protested his declared complacency toward the north and Israel. The satirical video sounded a "red alert" for the White House, warning that if Trump did not return to being Israel’s best friend, he would endanger his expected victory in the U.S. midterm elections and, even worse, the good friendship with Channel 12 News reporter Barak Ravid.