"This is a very stupid man who imagines he can—not just bully enemies as military strategy—but abuse allies and they’ll keep coming back for more.

Consider: Poor Donald Trump got a no from the UK’s Kier Starmer about joining the initial strikes on Iran and hesitated sending aircraft carriers to the region."

Steven Beschloss

#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #stupidity #MalignantNarcissism
/2

https://www.americaamerica.news/p/the-stupidity-of-a-bully

"This very stupid man in the White House decided to make a public show of his contempt toward a historic ally who acted in the interests of his own nation."

#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #stupidity #MalignantNarcissism
/3

"It turns out that Trump’s 'feeling' he could pull it off was baseless, perhaps a function of untreated malignant narcissism."

~ Jennifer Rubin

#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #stupidity #MalignantNarcissism
/4

https://www.contrariannews.org/p/trumps-war-is-the-worst-conceived

"It’s difficult to select one of Trump’s Cabinet members as the stupidest. But Pete Hegseth stands out for sheer boneheaded ignorance.

Pray for America and the world."

~ Robert Reich

#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #stupidity #MalignantNarcissism #ignorance #BonheadedIgnorance
/5

https://robertreich.substack.com/p/trumps-stupidest-cabinet-member

"In the span of only sixty weeks, the military and economic alliances that shaped the 20th century, ensured relative* peace in the world, and signaled the arrival of a superpower unlike any the world had ever seen have been, functionally, broken."

~ Sam Osterhout

#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #stupidity #Europe #NATO #Canada #allies
/6

https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/winners-and-losers-small-men-want

"A stunning poll from Politico — just released, but taken last month — confirms what I and other observers strongly suspected: America is now widely despised, despised like nobody has ever been despised before.

I don’t mean that we’re disliked, although that too."

~ Paul Krugman

#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #stupidity #Europe #NATO #Canada #allies
/8

https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/no-america-is-not-respected

"But this isn’t a case of oderint dum metuant — let them hate so long as they fear. Instead, the world increasingly holds America in contempt. ...

What’s especially depressing about that Politico poll is that it was taken a month ago. That is, it reflects international attitudes before the debacle in Iran."

#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #stupidity #Europe #NATO #Canada #allies
/9

"The response to the Trump’s trial balloon of a global coation to provide escorts was decidedly negative. ...

Trump is just beginning to understand the ramifications of trash-talking our allies for the last year. Having been dismissed and demeaned, they are in no hurry to help the US fix the crisis that Trump created."

~ Robert B. Hubbell

#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #stupidity #Europe #NATO #Canada #allies
/10

https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/trump-in-retreat