I'm Perplexed About This Pullback On This Iran Strike By Trump & The Reaction To It.....

[global1]

What do we want? Did we want Trump to strike back for this drone downing? Or did we want cooler heads to prevail? Seems like Bolton, Pompeo and Haspell wanted Trump to retaliate and at the last moment we hear that Trump stopped short of an attack.

I'm thinking that this is good because I don't think we want this to develop into a war. However, I'm hearing some people criticize Trump for being wishy washy on this.

From the beginning of his presidency we've heard people say that we hope that there are some adults in the WH or in his administration that would prevent him from pushing the button. So here we have the button being prevented from being pushed and now we're hearing criticism of Trump as being indecisive.

Seems like the adults in the WH were pushing for this strike instead of talking him out of the strike.

Now I don't want to give Trump points for stopping this attack as I don't know if we really know what was going on behind the scenes. We do know, however, those so-called adults in the WH are Hawks and have always wanted to take down Iran.

I'm relieved that this attack was stopped. I really don't care who or how this attack was averted. But People - we've got to get on the same page on this. Either we're happy that this strike was stopped and Trump was prevented from pushing this country into something that we might regret or we're critical of Trump for being indecisive and looking weak.

I'm not sure I'm expressing what I'm feeling right now - but as everything with Trump - it seems like he's got us (or at least me) confused and bewildered with how this situation has evolved.

Maybe someone else out there in DU land can help me make sense of my feelings on this.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

1. I'm happy that the strike was called off

but it never should have even been instigated, especially not over the downing of an unmanned drone. The minute we up the ante and start striking them, they're going to strike back and soon it will be mess. And there's no way that Israel and the rest of the ME won't get dragged into it. If we all thought Iraq was huge clusterf**k, we ain't see nothing yet.

[Cartoonist]

2. I hear you

I too am puzzled by what I perceive as disappointment in not attacking. WTF

[underpants]

5. See post below

It shows that he’s full of crap

[RHMerriman]

6. Happy the attack wasn't ordered over such an inconsequential action;

Happy the attack wasn't ordered over such an inconsequential action; unhappy that it demonstrates yet again what an ignorant and uneducated individual is in the Oval Office.

Does that work for you?

[underpants]

3. My point has been that this exposes Mr. 5th Ave Tough Guy as weak

Full of crap
A wuss
Etc.

Yes we all knew that but a lot of people have fallen for it. They’ll tell them not to trust their lying eyes but this just looks really really weak.

[global1]

11. You Do Realize That This Will Be Spun By 'The Deplorables' As To How Decisive & Presidential....

Trump looks by stopping this strike. They're going to make him out to look strong and not weak and indecisive.

This is why I'm so perplexed by this whole situation.

'spinning wheels got to go round'

[underpants]

12. They can convince themselves of anything

as long the white guy is in charge and all the change stops happening. It’s just too much for them.

[bigbrother05]

17. Most likely they'll claim the Gens weren't tough enough

And that the Malign Mango wanted them to come back bigger.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

4. Trump is all talk.....

The thought of blood on HIS hands may have been too much. But then, the deaths of migrant children at the border since his inhumane policies, Trump does indeed have blood on his hands.

[genxlib]

7. The failure here happened last year when he pulled out of the agreement

Every outcome that happens after that are just variations of different kinds of disasters. Some worse than others.

[stonecutter357]

8. Putin Niet , Trump okay !

[mahatmakanejeeves]

9. He's waiting for July the Fourth.

He'll announce the attack in the middle of his Celebration of Patriotism®. Cameras mounted in the attack aircraft and drones will show the killing in real time, as the crowd chants, variously, "U-S-A! U-S-A!" and "Lock her up! Lock her up!"

The ratings will be through the roof.

[underpants]

13. And now a Fox News exclusive. We go to Fox News Reporter...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

16. I wish I'd thought of that. NT

[True Dough]

10. Remember a few years ago the Turks downed a Russian fighter jet

One of the pilots was killed. The Russians never retaliated over that, which is a bigger deal than a drone.

Of course the Saudis slaughtered Jamal Khashoggi and what has Trump done to penalize them? Nothing.

[Mendocino]

14. The pee tapes?

[roamer65]

15. Another Dotard lie.

I bet dollars to donuts an attack was only discussed. Then Dotard and his staff lied about the imminence of it, so they could supposedly call it off and make him look “human”.

They playing with your sympathies, folks.

[marylandblue]

18. I'm glad he changed his mind, but it's a picture of White House chaos.

He cranks up the war machine then suddenly calls it off. Maybe someone in the room talked sense into him. Maybe he lost his nerve. He's unpredictable and weak-willed. Next time we might not be so lucky.

[hunter]

19. Putin owns Trump, doesn't care how much his little dog yaps...

... but will end him if he bites.

The entire GOP is rotten with dirty money and scandal.

[Blue_Tires]

20. This isn't hard to work out

1. No, nobody wants goddamned World War 3 no matter how many post-apocalyptic movies and video games are on their shelves...

2. By doing this flinch/headfake (while at the SAME time pretending to want to work out a diplomatic solution with Tehran) Trump has not only made us a hundred times weaker in the global community, everyone knows beyond all doubt that neither Donnie nor anyone connected to his administration can be trusted about anything, ever... Why would any nation sign any kind of agreement with us ever again since Donnie can change his mind and rip it up the next day? You think Iran is going to sit at a negotiating table after this half-assed stunt?

3. We need to pump the brakes on this whole bullshit "Donnie was the calm voice of reason against Bolton and his hawk generals and prevented World War III so what's wrong with that?" -narrative before it spreads... I have no doubt that when it all becomes public we'll see that Donnie staged all this kabuki theatre just to fluff his own image and approval rating...

[MissB]

21. This is the second thread I've read with this theme.

No one here wants the US to bomb Iran.

Separate that thought from the fact that we have an incompetent President that now looks week. Someone else used the phrase - he’s backed himself into a corner in an oval shaped room. And what that means is that his actions - allllll of them from backing out of the agreement last year to backing out of the strike last night- reduces our standing as a country to the entire world.

It’s not that anyone is pissed he didn’t kill people last night- it’s that we are pissed that once again he’s shown his incompetence by even dipping his orange toes into this mess.

A strong leader wouldn’t have even gotten us into this mess in the first place.

[Baitball Blogger]

22. He is wishy-washy.

Which means, 50% of the time he will placate 50% of the population. That's just the math in a country that is as severely divided as ours. Chances are that he pulled back because someone outside the WH played a power card. Chances are, it's someone high up in the GOP.

Which means, he didn't do this for you. He did this because someone in the GOP reigned him in.

[Martin Eden]

23. What do I want?? ... REGIME CHANGE !!!

at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

[MineralMan]

24. Trump Threatened. Someone Said "Oh No, You Don't!"

So Trump walked it back at the last minute. What we don't know is who said, "Oh, no you don't."

Could be Putin. Could be someone with bigger cojones than Trump possesses. Frankly, I'd love to know who called him and shut him down.