President Donald Trump has finally lost his "shamelessness" and is facing everyday humiliation, Jonathan Lemire wrote for The Atlantic on Wednesday.
Confronted with this reality, he is now lashing out at anyone and everyone he can to assign blame.
After Trump's rushed $16 million renovation turned the water an algae-green disaster just in time for the nation's birthday, he needed someone to blame. He landed on 67-year-old Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who was arrested after simply reaching down to touch the failing pool. When evidence later showed a botched installation, not vandalism, caused the damage, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office moved to drop the charges. Trump erupted anyway, savaging his own loyal ally on social media.
A similar pattern played out over Air Force One. After Trump's Qatari-jet replacement was pulled from a flight near Iran over security concerns, and the New York Times reported it, Trump had subpoenas issued against Times reporters demanding their phone records and sources — subpoenas DOJ ultimately withdrew after a federal judge intervened.
Insiders say both blowups stem partly from a deeper humiliation Trump can't control: his stalled war with Iran, now dragging into its sixth month despite repeated declared victories that never materialize. One Republican lawmaker called the pool saga "the dumbest controversy of his term," while conceding it at least distracts from bigger problems.
Ultimately, this most insurmountable humiliation could make the president completely unpredictable, Lemire warned.
"He’s made the war deeply personal," he wrote. "Will he now bail on the stalled war entirely, leaving Iran more empowered in the region? Will he follow through on his threats to dramatically escalate the conflict, perhaps even to strike civilian infrastructure and energy sites? Or will he channel his rage against Americans who point out his mistakes?"
