Trump's strong language a sign of how frustrated he's become
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Washington DC
Image source, EPA
I spend most of my days at the White House, and I’m often part of the press pool or travelling with President Donald Trump on his trips around the US.
Rarely – if ever – have I seen him using the sort of language he used this morning.
Trump tends to reserve his angrier moments for Truth Social. He’s a man who likes to, at least publicly, keep the image of a cool, calculated dealmaker, and on the few occasions I’ve seen him snap in front of the media, it’s been at reporters for “stupid” or “ridiculous” questions.
His use of an expletive in front of the world’s cameras on the South Lawn of the White House are perhaps a sign of how frustrated he’s become with the two warring parties, with Israel seemingly – for now – facing the brunt of his anger.
Trump has repeatedly vowed that he will bring an end to conflicts, including in Gaza and Ukraine.
More recently, we’ve seen him pivot to claim credit for ending fighting between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and between India and Pakistan. Those conflicts, however, were largely far from the mind of most Americans.
In the eyes of the administration, a ceasefire between Iran and Israel will be – or would have been – a crowning foreign policy achievement that would have allowed him to point to a significant victory, particularly if coupled with an end to Iran’s nuclear programme that was helped along by US bombers.
Already last night, we saw figures from within the White House loudly praise Trump’s “peace”. But for now, he appears to be flustered and angry that it’s not taking place.
