US foes are goading Trump because they know he's a 'blow-hard and full of bluster': CNN analyst

President Donald Trump walked back from the brink of atrocities last week, from calling off a military strike against Iran to pushing back planned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in major American cities.

On Monday's edition of CNN's "The Situation Room," chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin told anchor Wolf Blitzer how foreign adversaries have been emboldened to challenge Trump — because for all his bombast, they know they are calling a bluff.

"I think Donald Trump is pretty well a known quantity at this point," said Toobin. "I mean, I think people around the world know he's a blowhard, knows he's full of bluster. But that's no reason to get into a war."

"You know, presidents historically have had their masculinity challenged, and they start wars to prove they're tough, and that's a terrible idea," said Toobin. "And if Donald Trump is criticized or loses some credibility, that's a heck of a lot better than getting involved in military action where people die, where Iranians die, where potentially American soldiers die. That's a better outcome notwithstanding the possible hit to his credibility."

Watch below: