Trump Realist or Evader of the Facts ?

Donald Trump, to quote Winston Churchill, is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. One moment, he acts decisively; the next, he appears to recant his previous stance, leaving everyone guessing what comes next. Some pundits tend to hail this behaviour as the ultimate in negotiating skills, while others suggest it’s the behaviour of a madman.

There is probably some truth in both opinions. Whatever the reality, Trump is prone to distorting the characteristics of events or facts and appears comfortable in depreciating anything that interferes with his flights of fantasy. It begs the question: Are we dealing with a sinister situation that verges on the ridiculous, or are we privy to a person shackled to their own unflinching vision of reality colliding with objective forces that make up the history of mankind, while indulging a contemptible evasion of the facts by a President who may ignore reality and live in a fool’s paradise?

In Trump’s case, he sometimes hits the nail on the head despite himself. His support for Israel has been exceptional, if at times erratic and much of his domestic agenda is laudable; however, we are still left with ill-thought-out aspirations that expose President Trump’s limitations all too clearly.

These questions may well be answered over the coming months as the Iran crisis leads the world to some very tough decisions. Much will depend on whether President Donald Trump values Statecraft and the rational study of his opponents; it will depend on logic and common sense revealing whether Trump is a realist or evader of the facts.