July 24, 2019

Does Trump Understand His Bad Cop?
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s recent seizure of a British-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz looks like a prelude to greater conflict. National Review’s own editorial says that Iran is behaving like a country that wants to get bombed. Although, publicly, Iran greeted the arrival of new Prime Minister Boris Johnson with a message pleading: “Iran does not seek confrontation!”And so far this conflict is at a standstill. Foreign-policy watchers have noted that Iran’s actions are very likely a response to the British seizure of a Panamanian-flagged ship carrying Iranian crude through the Strait of Gibraltar.This is the third month in a row in which tensions between Iran and the United States have ramped up considerably. In May, the United States announced a more aggressive positioning of military assets. In June, President Trump prepared for and then called off military air strikes against Iranian targets.In these moments of international conflict, it is still worth asking whether the president has a firm grip on the chain of command. Trump once announced the complete withdrawal of American troops from Syria but seems to have been overruled as his Cabinet and other creatures of policy pushed back against him; “White House officials” would announce a contrary policy.In a report for Axios, Jonathan Swan outlines the relationship between national-security adviser John Bolton and president Donald Trump. It’s a relationship that has been the subject of a number of dissections in the past. Trump ran against a foreign-policy establishment that launched too many wars and never seemed to win them. Trump reportedly jokes in Oval Office meetings that “John [Bolton] has never seen a war he doesn’t like” and even once asked in front of an Irish delegation, “Is Ireland one of those countries you want to invade?”Nobody has to guess what John Bolton’s position is vis-à-vis Iran. “The behavior and objectives of the regime are not going to change,” Bolton said of Iran a year ago. “Therefore the only solution is to change the regime itself.” In early May, it was Bolton who announced on Twitter and via press release that American naval assets were being moved toward Iran. There was no Pentagon briefing. This was accompanied by senator Tom Cotton suggesting that the United States would win a war with Iran in two strikes: “The first strike and the last strike.”Trump is not nearly as hawkish on Iran as Bolton is. And dovish voices in the Republican ambit have been openly lobbying for the president to remove Bolton from his position. From his seat in a studio at Fox during prime time, and as an occasional informal adviser, Tucker Carlson is perhaps the most influential of these. But according to Axios, Trump thinks Bolton is a major asset in the administration. Foreign actors respect and perhaps fear Bolton. And Trump deploys him as a “bad cop” in meetings and in negotiations.This is a time-honored part of presidential decision-making. Presidents like to see a range of views, and some of our most creative and successful presidents in the realm of foreign policy -- think Nixon and China -- developed their ideas by keeping a wide range of voices around them at all times. But this only works if the president fully understands the decisions he does allow his subordinates to make.It was the U.S. that tipped off Britain to the passage of the Grace 1. The U.K.’s Navy is under-equipped to protect other British ships in the Strait of Hormuz, but beyond the capture of one British ship, globally important trade is still passing through these strategic waters. If that trade were to be slowed down significantly, the very well-heated global economy could begin its long-expected downward turn.In other words, President Trump may be facing a choice even if he isn’t aware of it. He can head into 2020 running on peace and prosperity, or he can be a war president. The authority to choose between these courses is his. If he knows how to exercise it.
Related Stories
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Watch It
Olivia Munn Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Double Mastectomy Procedure | E! News
March 13, 2024
kUaEV1Kd3S0
Travis Kelce Shares Details From His Trip to Singapore With Taylor Swift | E! News
March 13, 2024
3YXi-Dgf4eg
Kate Middleton VIRAL Photo: Agency Addresses Photoshop Claims | E! News
March 13, 2024
S4VkO0TpkCY
Da'Vine Joy Randolph Plays 'Smash or Pass' With Iconic Moments From Her Career
March 13, 2024
vkPdJEF2BX4
Jean Smart Wears a Hotel Bathrobe to Present an Award to Hannah Einbinder l Power of Comedy SxSW
March 12, 2024
Bw7uVEYQev4
Lenny Kravitz Walk of Fame Ceremony
March 12, 2024
MlWq8BcnwhE
Dak Prescott Extortion Plot & Steph Curry for President? | TMZ Sports Full Ep - 3/12/24
March 13, 2024
jHFsrjs7OFY
A Japanese space rocket blew up after takeoff Tuesday, turning the sky into a fireball of smoke.
March 13, 2024
YkfJ3Qg8B7c
#KimKardashian and #BiancaCensori hung out at #KanyeWest's listening party Tuesday night!
March 13, 2024
EfwLLq6bx9k
‘Pioneer Woman’ Ree Drummond denies using Ozempic to lose 60 pounds
March 13, 2024
Omfjk1AlZ3A
Chrissy Teigen reveals her ‘boob lift scars’ in daring dress at Jay-Z & Beyoncé’s Oscars 2024 party
March 13, 2024
VxZ2qXAlpmU
Zoë Kravitz pokes fun at dad Lenny Kravitz's style during Hollywood Walk of Fame speech
March 13, 2024
j3-lcFu_1sQ
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
SC Freiburg - Bayer Leverkusen
17
Mar
USA: Major League Soccer
Atlanta United - Orlando City
17
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
West Ham United - Aston Villa
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Rayo Vallecano - Real Betis
17
Mar
ENGLAND: Championship
Leeds - Millwall
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Las Palmas - Almeria
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Villarreal - Valencia
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Sevilla - Celta Vigo
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
11
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Chelsea - Newcastle United
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Liverpool - Manchester City
10
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Real Madrid - Celta Vigo
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Atalanta
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Fiorentina - Roma
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
AC Milan - Empoli
09
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Werder Bremen - Borussia Dortmund
09
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Arsenal - Brentford
09
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Bologna - Inter Milan
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.