Now and then, I learn things via trusted sources about the Trump administration that shock me. Here is one of those stories.
Friday, an explosion went off at London’s Parson Greens commuter railway in a terrorist attack. Twenty-nine people were injured but thankfully no one was killed.
After the attack, Donald Trump tweeted the following message:
Another attack in London by a loser terrorist.These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2017
It turns out Trump was correct about the bomber being known to the authorities. However, this is an instance where it was better to be lucky than good. He got the idea that the perpetrators of the bombing were known to Scotland Yard by watching guests speculate on Fox & Friends 22 minutes before the tweet. Trump had not been briefed on the status of the bombers by advisers, and in fact the information had been kept from him so he wouldn’t tweet it out or inadvertently reveal it some other way. In this case, Trump publicly guessed based on the Fox & Friends show and in the process angered our ally.
The British were understandably frustrated and worried that the revelation would compromise their investigation and sources. Even though Trump’s advisers have made good efforts to prevent these problems, Trump managed to thwart them.
It is shocking that the president appears to be incapable of properly evaluating the consequences of his actions.