U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands at their first meeting, held on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany. AFP/Saul Loeb
CAIRO – 12 November 2017: Donald Trump’s entire campaign and tenure thus far has been dominated by his shameless self-confidence, overinflated ego, and burning desire to remind everyone that he is indeed, U.S. President.
His policies and perspectives are arguably the most conflicting of any U.S. President in recent history. Not only does this undermine his authority domestically, but challenges those loyal to him abroad who don’t know which way to turn, who to believe and how to react. Our world is dominated by an intricate mess of interconnected and tangled webs, meaning continuity and stability is essential to maintain the world order.
Trump has offered a fresh wave of deeply conflicting perspectives again in the past few days. The topic? Russia, of course; specifically, Russian allegedly meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.
After a recent meeting with Russian President Vladmir Putin, Donald Trump said on Saturday he believes Putin’s denial of Russian involvement and manipulation of the 2016 presidential election.
Trump’s extensive diplomatic experience has clearly taught him some important skills, including to believe almost anyone if it works to his personal benefit. The offer of a promise, a small smile, and a wealth of power is all that is needed to convince one of the most powerful men in the world to contest the work of his own intelligence community.
Trump’s comments stand in stark contrast to the U.S.’s intelligence agencies, which are conducting investigations into Russian influence and believe that there was a concerted effort to manipulate the presidential election by Russian entities.
Trump also used the same day to launch a tirade against special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between his campaign and the Kremlin.
The president’s comments were aptly criticised by Senator John McCain, who tweeted there was “nothing America First about taking the word of KGB colonel [Putin]” over the US intelligence community.
However, Trump’s own CIA chief, Mike Pompeo, quickly came to his defence.
“The director stands by and has always stood by the January 2017 intelligence community assessment entitled: Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections. The intelligence assessment with regard to Russian election meddling has not changed,” a statement read.
This photo, taken on June 18, 2013, shows then FBI director Robert Mueller awaiting the start of a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. AFP/Alex Wong
Although the big man himself stood in opposition to the intelligence community on Saturday, on Sunday he disputed his own beliefs once again. On the question of Russian interference, he claimed he was “with our agencies,” leaving people in ponder over what and who to believe.
“As to whether I believe it or not, I’m with our agencies, especially as currently constituted,” Trump told a news conference in Vietnam. “As currently led, by fine people, I believe very much in our intelligence agencies.”
This hypocrisy is nothing new though. The hot air spurted out of Trump’s mouth exceeds that of any of his predecessors, and since his presidency began this has only continued.
Not only is Trump an expert in contradicting himself, he has a skill for dividing his age by a factor between 5 and 10, and acting as such. Using Twitter as his mouthpiece, he proclaims the first thing to come to his head to 42.5 million followers and the world.
It is easy to confuse the U.S. President’s Twitter with that of a parody account. Many of Trump’s comments make it hard to believe they are coming from the one of the highest offices in the world, instead, they are more likened to a petty argument between a group of children in the sandpit at school.
“You’re stupid,” “no, you’re stupider,” runs the rhetoric between Donald Trump and his foes. Dotard Donald’s recent tweet embodies his childish hypocritical personality.
Oh how it makes your lips curl at the sides as a breath of hot air is expelled from your nose. You sit back and wonder “how, what, why?” How? While he feels the need to inform the public that he does in fact occupy the Oval Office, his proclamations and actions help to test people’s belief at every step.
He must be aware that to the majority of the world, even the biggest allies of the Unites States, he is a laughing stock. Nothing else would justify his insistence for constant approval, believing that he could get away with such a comment.
As long as you sit back and forget that he is the commander-in-chief of the world’s superpower, you can enjoy the implausibility of his rhetoric and pass it off as the words of a madman. Although this may be a difficult and disconcerting response, maybe it is the only path to get through the coming years with one’s sanity intact.
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