By Terence Smith
In the course of a long journalistic career, I covered five Presidents: three Republicans, two Democrats; all interesting, each very different.
The five were Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. I told stories about their administrations in my memoir, “Four Wars, Five Presidents: A Reporter’s Journey from Jerusalem to Saigon to the White House,”describing their highs and lows, triumphs and disasters, achievements and failures.
But never in the course of all that coverage did I see anything comparable to what we are witnessing now almost 16 months into Trump 2.0. With mid-term elections coming up and another two-and-a-half years of the Trump Era ahead, it is worth pausing briefly to take stock.
The common thread I see so far is gross incompetence from the President himself, his hand-picked cabinet down to his chief allies in Congress. Truly, I have never seen the like of it. It is a ship of fools. The sole qualification for a top job is total loyalty to Trump and his ever-changing goals and wishes. Nothing else seems to count.
From shooting wars to tariff wars to legal wars to political wars to the remaking of the nation’s Capital in the Trumpian image, it has been one failure after another.
Let’s take stock:
Iran: a costly stalemate at best, with no prospect of the promised regime change or lasting peace. Renewed fighting is distinctly possible.
Ukraine: a bloody standoff that Trump promised would be settled in his first 24 hours in office. Both Russia and Ukraine are hurting, but neither can find a way out.
Gaza: Remember the war in Gaza? It has disappeared from the headlines, but remains a fragile truce with little prospect of progress or relief. The trumpeted Board of Peace is supposedly in charge.
Venezuela: a puppet government continues many of the policies of the deposed Maduro regime, although some political prisoners have been released. Trump’s interest seems to be oil, and only oil.
The “war on drugs”: a total of 192 persons have been killed and more than 58 alleged drug boats destroyed since September with no known evidence of change in what the White House describes as “narco terrorism.” Critics decry the “extra-judicial” killings.
Tariffs: most have been reversed by courts, which have ordered $120 billion returned to the importers who paid them.
Cabinet secretaries: Three have been fired so far, all women; others are clearly in jeopardy.
Federal Departments: critically short of staff and support after the DOGE cuts and anti-DEI policies. Elon Musk promised to “move fast and break things,” and he did.
Remaking of Washington D.C.: from the demolished East Wing of the White House to the triumphal arch planned for Arlington to the now-shuttered Trump Kennedy Center, Trump’s frowning image is omni-present. The reflecting pool between the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument is being painted “American flag blue” for the upcoming 250th Anniversary party. Call it Trump D.C.
One other thing: when Trump turns the light out at night, does he realize he has been suckered by Bibi Netanyahu?
All in All, a remarkable record not half way through the Trump 2.0, with more to come.