This mess proves Trump is no longer in charge

Friends,

The fog of war is getting thicker.

According to the Washington Post, a “U.S. delegation wasexpected to depart Tuesday for a second round of face-to-face peace talks with Iran” but “was delayed for ‘additional policy meetings’ involving Vice President JD Vance.”

So, the reason for the delay was additional policy meetings in Washington?

Not quite. According to the New York Times, Vance’s trip was “suspended because Tehran did not respond to American negotiating positions.”

Well, not really. The Wall Street Journal reports that plans for negotiations are “in flux” because “Tehran hasn’t yet decided on sending a delegation.”

Wait. According to CNN, Iran isn’t participating in peace negotiations because of “contradictory messages, contradictory behaviors, and unacceptable actions by the American side.”

These are just the latest in a series of confused reports.

Why the confusion? Is it because these news organizations are getting inconsistent information? Because the U.S. is getting inconsistent messages from Iran? Because U.S. decision makers don’t themselves know what’s happening? Or because no one on the U.S. side is in charge?

It’s probably all of the above, but I fear it’s largely the last — no one on the U.S. side is in charge.

On April 18, the Journalreported:

“After the president learned that an American jet had been shot down in Iran, with two airmen missing … Tump screamed at aides for hours….
Aides kept the president out of the room as they got minute-by-minute updates because they believed his impatience wouldn’t be helpful, instead updating him at meaningful moments, a senior administration official said ….
Six hours later, the chest-thumping president was back with another audacious gamble to loosen Iran’s grip on its most powerful point of leverage, the Strait of Hormuz. “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell,” he blasted on social media Easter morning from the White House residence, adding an Islamic prayer to the post.
A president who thrives on drama is bringing an even more intense version of his unorthodox, maximalist approach to a new situation—fighting a war. He is veering between belligerent and conciliatory approaches and grappling behind the scenes with just how badly things could go wrong.
At the same time, the president sometimes loses focus, spending time on the details of his plans for the White House ballroom or on midterm fundraisers—and telling advisers he wants to shift to other topics.”

I’ve served three presidents and advised a fourth. I’ve been in and around several White Houses. When presidential aides tell reporters that they’ve had to keep a president out of the room because they believed his impatience wouldn’t be helpful, what they’re really saying is they’re dealing with someone who’s so irrational they don’t trust his judgment.

This is the most chilling thing I’ve heard so far about Trump and his war in Iran. It means Trump isn’t in charge. But neither, presumably, is anyone around him — neither JD Vance, Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, Dan Caine, or the staffers clustered around each ot them. Even assuming that each of them is trying to do the best job they can, even assuming they’re trying to coordinate with each other, the most likely scenario is an ongoing mess.

At best, the fog of war causes many to lose sight of where they are and what their priorities should be. At worst — when the judgment of the commander-in-chief isn’t trusted — the fog is impenetrable. I fear that’s where we are now.

• Robert Reich is an emeritus professor of public policy at Berkeley and former secretary of labor. His writings can be found at https://robertreich.substack.com/. His new memoir, Coming Up Short, can be found wherever you buy books. You can also support local bookstores nationally by ordering the book at bookshop.org