Max Boot: Iranian President Rouhani ‘Seems More Stable and Rational’ Than Trump

Monday on CNN’s “Newsroom,” columnist Max Boot reacted to an early morning tweet from President Donald Trump lashing out at Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for his anti-American rhetoric.

To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2018

Boot said the tweet made Rouhani seem “more stable and rational” than Trump.

“Well, if anybody is issuing demented words of violence and death I would say it is the president of the United States,” Boot said. “I mean, it’s quite a pass we’ve come to when the leadership of a country like Iran seems more stable and rational than the President of the United States.
But I agree with what was said. I don’t think he is really planning to attack Iran. I think this is really a ploy to distract attention from the horrible publicity he got from his subservience to Russia. But this really also underlines just how extraordinary his conduct towards Putin because look what he is doing here: He is threatening Rouhani with death and ‘consequences no one has ever seen before,’ and what did Rouhani do? He gave a speech where he said if the U.S. attacks Iran it will be the mother of all wars. And likewise, if the U.S. makes peace with Iran, it will be the mother of all peace. So, this was not some true attack on the United States, it was just some rhetoric, whereas Vladimir Putin is actually attacking the United States, as we know from his own director of national intelligence, and Trump has nothing to say about that.”

(h/t RCP Video)

Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor