Trump's big play in Israel landed with a dull thud. The second leg of his "historic trip" got off to a bad start when Melania refused to take his hand on the tarmac of the airport. Bibi was having a tough time himself, unable to get his ministers to fall in line behind him to greet the president at the airport. He and his wife ended up complaining about the press to Donald and Melania before he gave his amazing speech on the tarmac.
A big day of events got very little attention beyond his "historic visit" to the Western Wall, a first for a sitting president. We can only guess what is going on in that head of his, but CNN tries its best to fill the void.
Trump was ready to go home after two days, complaining like a little kid at summer camp that he has had enough. Unlike his campaign visits where he usually got back to New York the same night, Trump is having to spend an insufferable eight nights on the road. Not sure why they didn't put his signature Serta mattress into Air Force One. I guess they no longer have any in stock.
Day three has been upstaged by what is believed to be a terrorist suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, killing over 20 and injuring 60 more in the audience. Conservatives took to the social media to vent their misplaced rage. Not the kind of advertising you want when you are trying to broker a "historic peace deal" in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Gen. Flynn is trying to stonewall the Congressional investigation committee by not complying with the Senate subpoena. He is refusing to hand over papers and threatening to invoke the fifth amendment at his mandatory testimony. It only makes him look that much more guilty.
So, not even one third of the way through this "historic trip" and it is already unraveling. It was never anymore than a PR stunt. I suppose his handlers were hoping that if they could keep him on the road for nine days and away from twitter, it might suck some of the juice out of the scandals coming out of his White House. Unfortunately for Team Trump that is not happening.
Everyone knows that no peace deal will come out of the Middle East anytime soon, if at all. It is nice that Trump is even suggesting it given his bellicose rhetoric on the campaign trail and his attempts to impose a travel ban on Muslim nations. However, you can't have it both ways.
Much of what he has said on this trip is in direct opposition to everything he promised his rabid followers, who want an isolationist America no longer dealing with anyone in the Middle East, especially the Saudis, who he assailed time and again on the campaign trail. This didn't stop him from registering eight companies in Saudi Arabia on the off chance he actually won the Oval Office. He can now reap what he sowed.
His Trumpness also showed no misgivings over the $100 million Saudi Arabia and UAE pledged to Ivanka's foundation set up for women entrepreneurs. You remember all the heat Trump gave Hillary for taking money from the Saudis for her foundation. This isn't the first time Ivanka has benefited from these state visits. If nothing else, Trump is being a good daddy.
Yet, the mainstream media has given Trump mostly kudos on his first foreign trip. Fareed Zakaria praised the president's speech in Riyadh, saying it was the kind of speech Obama could have given. David Faris was not so forgiving, calling the groveling speech what it was: a callow attempt to curry favor with the Saudis despite their long list of atrocities, not to mention their heinous view toward women, minorities and homosexuals. This is why so many persons turn to the Internet for news and political opinion.
It is really hard do fathom why anyone would give Trump the benefit of the doubt at this point. Melania obviously doesn't. She is just there to be his trophy wife, nothing more. She has kept a notoriously low profile throughout his 120 days in office. One wonders if she will ever move into the White House and if she does you can bet they will have separate wings. Yet, the mainstream media continues to fawn over Trump as if at some point he will change his tune and become "presidential."
It ain't going to happen folks. This is the attitude of a battered wife. I'm glad to see Melania stands up to him. Even if Trump does make it through his first presidential trip abroad without further incidents, you can bet the shit is really going to hit the fan when he gets back to the White House.
I'll leave you with Allan Sherman's classic song about Camp Granada.
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