In recent self-told dramas, Trump plays a model of reason, restraint
President Donald Trump signs an executive order to increase sanctions on Iran at the Oval Office on Monday. Credit: AP/Alex Brandon
The term "suspension of disbelief" usually means putting aside logic and fact in order to enjoy or appreciate a piece of fiction.
President Donald Trump gave Americans an appealing story line last week when he said he called off a military strike on Iran at the last minute because the destruction of an unmanned U.S. drone would not justify killing 150 people, as estimated by officials.
Former President Jimmy Carter, at 94, taught a class in Scripture on Sunday where he said: "I agree with President Trump on his decision not to take military action against Iran … I had a lot of problems with Iran when I was in office."
As if to put his humane choice in sharper relief, Trump all but denounced certain aides who'd advised the use of force. “I have some hawks," he said over the weekend. "John Bolton is absolutely a hawk. If it was up to him, he'd take on the whole world at one time.“ According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump even privately said of Bolton and others: "These people want to push us into a war … It’s so disgusting."
A less-than-indulgent audience might have problems buying this little parable where the beneficent ruler saves the day. Some might reasonably ask: Why retain staff with "disgusting" intentions? Or, how did the crisis get to that point?
Did the Senate's repudiation that very day of U.S. arms sales to Iran's biggest rival Saudi Arabia somehow become a factor?
Is the president looking to replace the U.S.-abandoned Iran nuclear deal? After turning threats of "fire and fury" into a kind of happy ending, should anyone take Trump seriously now when he quickly returns to warning Iran of "obliteration like you’ve never seen before?"
So there are obstacles to the suspension of disbelief. But the crisis sure has held the attention of the viewers and won those "good ratings" Trump reveres.
Best of all, in real life, nobody was killed.
In a further dramatic and suspenseful episode over the weekend, Trump said he'd called off a big Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweep to deport people living in the U.S. illegally, including families.
Trump said he'd instead give lawmakers two weeks to work out solutions to the wider problem.
This too is a nice story for the president to be able to tell — that he's throwing his weight around to prod rival political parties to negotiate and thus reach a fair result on immigration.
Again, holes in the narrative appear.
Administration officials told the Associated Press that leaders of ICE were worried officers’ safety would be compromised after details about the raids were made public. Trump, in fact, was brandishing his plans on the eve of a campaign rally in Florida.
Also, no legislation was negotiated during the two years that the GOP held both houses of Congress along with the White House.
Threats-for-results was also the moral of Trump's story line when he said he'd impose tariffs on all products from Mexico if the government there didn't stop migrants crossing the country to the U.S. border from Central America.
And indeed, Mexican armed forces seem to be taking some action.
But obstacles to suspending disbelief arise.
For one, Mexico reportedly agreed to take such action months before Trump even issued his tariff threat.
For another, elected Republicans from border states sharply warned the president against the tariffs.
To an excited home audience, however, such details might not matter to taking in the story.
Dan Janison is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
