The big lie at the core of Trump's ugly meltdown at Pelosi

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/10/17/big-lie-core-trumps-ugly-meltdown-pelosi/

By Greg Sargent Opinion writer

Oct. 17, 2019 at 10:32 a.m. EDT

President Trump is in a rage, because nobody in Washington will take his claims about pulling U.S. troops out of Syria seriously. He insists he’s operating in the national interest, but everyone aside from his base and his most slavish loyalists knows that’s utter nonsense -- either Trump has no idea what he’s doing, and isn’t operating out of any meaningful conception of what’s good for the country, or he has uglier motives.

But Trump has only himself to blame for this. At precisely the moment he’s defending his Syria moves, the unfolding Ukraine scandal is showcasing in vivid detail that Trump is perfectly willing to sell out our foreign policy for profoundly corrupt, self-interested reasons.

The confluence of these two narratives has left Trump with an unusually depleted store of credibility as he demands the benefit of the doubt on Syria. Why would anyone assume he’s operating in the national interest on that front, when he’s completely betraying it on another before all the world to see?

Trump’s Syria decision is coming under heavy fire from Republicans and Democrats, and according to emerging reports, he staged a spectacular meltdown in a meeting with lawmakers. Trump ripped House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a “third rate politician,” while she pointedly noted he’s enabling the Russian president’s designs on the region: “All roads with you lead to Putin.”

Trump seemed particularly irked after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pointed out that recently-departed General James Mattis has warned that leaving Syria is helping the Islamic State rebuild.

"He wasn’t tough enough,” Trump seethed about Mattis. “I captured ISIS. Mattis said it would take two years. I captured them in one month.”

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[captain queeg]

1. When oh when will he just have a stroke or heart attack

Or whatever happens to that Adderall fueled brain omelet when it finally reaches overload. Maybe pus will just start leaking out his ears. I wonder if they have a sedative shot on hand 24/7 for when he finally goes completely off. I can’t believe it hasn’t happened yet. Need to have folks openly laughing at his stupidity. In his heart of hearts he knows what a fraud he is but has managed to insulate himself from hearing it.

[bdamomma]

2. it's just

not fair we lost a great man like Representative Cummings, and we still have this POS.

[Wounded Bear]

3. I'd be willing to bet that Erdogan threatened Trump Towers in Istanbul...

That's the one thing Trump responds to. Erdogan probably threatened to seize the towers.

[Bayard]

5. Now there's a thought

If its going to cost him money personally, he'll cave. In the Sunday night phone call, he probably said--I'll write you a beautiful letter, but it will be just for show, K? (wink wink, nudge nudge).

[Garrett78]

4. "...or he has uglier motives." I think that's a given.

[2naSalit]

8. +1

[Garrett78]

11. It's always about money with Trump. Always.

[Delmette2.0]

6. I read a comment on CBS Good Moring America.

The WH said he was calm and measured with his response to Speaker Pelosi.

I guess it is all in your perspective. We have seen rumors about his temper tantrums, throwing things, yelling at aides.
So if he wasn't doing any of that it would seem calm and measured.

[Anon-C]

7. Ask the Vagners if Mattis wasn't tough enough.

[babylonsister]

9. He captured ISIS? I don't have a clue

why he thinks that.

[ooky]

10. Only MAGAts still believe anything this notorious liar has to say, and even the MAGAts

are at a loss to defend Trump's cowardly and bad decisions in Syria. Everyone else KNOWS that he puts his interests ahead of America and that this incompetent Syria foreign policy coupled with Ukraine is just magnifying that unfortunate fact.