10/9/19
In The Art of the Deal, President Trump presents his deal making — by which he means his avarice and swindling — as an artistic enterprise. "Deals are my art form," he writes in his best-selling book that he didn't write. "Other people paint beautifully on canvas or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals." Trump's forte is con artistry. He sells books he doesn't write to people who don't read. He failed as a businessman but succeeded as a fake businessman on TV. The supreme irony of his life is that he poses as a dealmaker when he is the opposite. Trump doesn't make deals. He breaks them. Trump's perfidy has global consequences. His decision this week to withdraw troops from northern Syria, reportedly made after a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, surprised and infuriated lawmakers, including Republicans. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) called it "a catastrophic mistake," Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) called it "a grave mistake that will have implications far beyond Syria," and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) called it "a betrayal." Trump's abandonment of the Kurds, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said, sends "the most dangerous signal possible — America is an unreliable ally." America is an unreliable ally because its president is an unreliable person. If there's a constant in Trump's life, it's betrayal. He has betrayed his business partners, his customers, his employees, his friends, his wives, and his voters. A man who is willing to betray those closest to him will not hesitate to turn his back on foreigners thousands of miles away.
Thanks to Trump, the world no longer trusts the United States to honor its commitments. According to a Pew survey conducted last year, 82 percent of Europeans had no confidence in Trump's handling of international issues. Seventy-five percent of Canadians and 91 percent of Mexicans don't trust the president to do the right thing regarding world affairs. His numbers are bad even in Russia. When Trump talks about America, he's really talking about himself. The world is laughing at us (me). America (me) first! "Nobody ever wants to work with the United States," he said. Just as nobody ever wants to work with Trump, and for good reason: Just as he breaks laws and betrays his friends, America under his stewardship neglects its responsibilities and deserts its allies. Last week, Trump blamed his phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who dutifully accepted responsibility. Trump demands loyalty from those he inevitably betrays. "We could use some more loyalty," Trump said in 2017. Eight hours later, he berated Attorney General Jeff Sessions as "VERY weak" for behaving ethically. Betraying people while demanding their loyalty is like divorcing your wife because you cheated on her. Note to Republicans: Trump will do to you what he did to the Kurds.
