Donald Trump finds himself mired in a complex situation involving a conflict in Iran, where his typical strategy of crafting his own narratives is proving ineffective.
This situation has led to an economic crisis layered atop an international crisis, placing the country on an unstable footing.
In what seems to be an attempt to stabilize the stock market, Trump has been making near-daily assertions that the conflict with Iran, which he initiated, is either already resolved or will be shortly.
As financial markets declined, Trump asserted that peace talks were occurring with Iran, though no evidence of such discussions with any influential Iranian leaders existed at that time.
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On Sunday, Rep. Jim Himes, the leading Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, stated there were no negotiations underway.
Himes made this remark in response to a question about ICE funding on CBSâs Face The Nation:
This isn’t about ideological purity. It’s about adhering to the law. If everyone agrees, let’s pass the law to codify it.
We don’t trust the president when he says, “no masks,” just as we don’t trust him when he claims to be negotiating with the Iranians when he’s not.
If it’s so simple, let’s make it law. But they’re not willing. Maria is right; we’ve become accustomed to using shutdowns to achieve legislative goals. This means that TSA agents and federal employees don’t get paid when one party acts out.
In this case, I believe the American people support the Democratic Party in saying you can’t act like ICE did in Minneapolis. We must stop legislating through shutdowns; it’s not fitting for our great nation.
Himes mentioned in passing that Trump was not truthful about negotiating with Iran, elaborating further on this point later in the interview.
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