That’s not an easy thing to do, in the literal sense. But when you are metaphorically going under for the third time because you are attempting to take control of a region that is like nowhere else on Earth . . . a place that has never known anything but conflict . . . and you haven’t the slightest inkling of the history, the traditions, or the mindset of the peoples of that part of the world . . .

Well, you can see how easy it would be to find yourself drowning — or perhaps being buried in quicksand would have been a better metaphor. In any event, that is where Donald Trump now finds himself, up to his neck in trouble after tearing up a treaty that was working, starting a war that wasn’t necessary, and placing himself squarely between . . . OMG! . . . Israel and the rest of the Middle East.

And now — after nearly four months of vacillating between “we’ve totally defeated them” and “we’re going to wipe them off the face of the Earth” — he is telling his good friend, Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu, to use a “softer touch” in Israel’s fight against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Does he not understand irony? Or inconsistency? Or outright, full-blown hypocrisy?

Apparently not. Because, while his emissaries — the Mutt and Jeff of diplomacy — are in Switzerland attempting to negotiate the terms of an agreement that Trump said last week had already been concluded, Iran has accused the U.S. of “failing to implement” the terms of that tentative agreement, and Israel of violating the terms of a ceasefire in Lebanon, as a result of which they (Iran) are once again closing the Strait of Hormuz. [Julia Benbrook, CNN, June 21, 2026.]

In return, Trump began making threats again, saying in a phone interview with Fox News yesterday:

“We may take over the Strait, if we have to. If they don’t make a deal, we’ll collect tolls.“ [Id.]

That’s telling them, Donnie: make them give back some of the billions of dollars you’ve just offered to pay them to sign a softer version of the agreement President Obama already had in place that you tore up because it had his name on it.

Then, apparently addressing the Iranian delegation in Switzerland still engaged in talks with Mutt and Jeff (Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, if you hadn’t already guessed), he added, in his usual classy, most presidential manner:

“You close it and you won’t have a country. You won’t even make it back to your f**king country.” [Id.]

And, not yet satisfied, he posted on Truth Social on Sunday morning:

“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!” [Id.]

But wait . . . it gets better.

Because yesterday the world also heard from God’s gift to politics, JD Vance, on the subject. In Switzerland with the other two Marx Brothers, he told reporters that Trump is “committed . . . to see a full regional ceasefire,” that he (Vance) feels great about “where we are in Lebanon,” and that the U.S. has done “more to stop the conflict in Lebanon than any government anywhere in the world over the last few months. Peace is never easy. Peace always requires a little bit of work. It always requires a little bit of give and take. But the President of the United States is committed, not just to peace between the United States and Iran — the president is committed to a regional peace, which is why we’re here working so hard to settle our issues. . . . I actually feel great about where we are in Lebanon. There’s still some additional wood to chop, but we’re going to keep on working at it.” [Id.]

Then came the caveat, in case it all goes pear-shaped again:

“[Today’s gathering is] not going to solve every disagreement, but it’s going to allow us to sit together as teams for the first time, really in history, to figure out what matters most to the respective parties, to settle those issues, to solve those issues and get to a better tomorrow.” [Id.]

Well, thank goodness he was there to keep Witkoff and Kushner from making complete asses of themselves. After all, that’s his job.

Maybe Trump and Vance haven’t taken the six-hour time difference into consideration, but they really need to get their stories straight and coordinate the timing of their announcements. Because this is not a Marx Brothers movie; it’s real life, and it’s dead serious.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/22/26