By Hatchet News Staff
As missiles streak across the skies between Iran and Israel, and the world teeters on the edge of a broader regional war, one question looms larger than most for Americans: Who can be trusted to lead the United States in a time of escalating global conflict?
For many of his most ardent supporters, President Donald J. Trump is the answer. They view him as a tough-talking nationalist, a so-called dealmaker who will keep America out of “endless wars.” But that persona—a blustering figure who claims he alone can protect the nation—is paper-thin when placed under the harsh light of history.
In reality, Donald Trump is not a wartime leader. He is a coward at heart.
When Americans were attacked, when foreign actors committed violence on U.S. soil or against U.S. troops, Trump did not act decisively or with strength. He folded. He equivocated. And often, he remained silent.
A Dangerous Moment in History
In 2025, Iran and Israel are engaged in direct military conflict. It is a moment many feared for years: ballistic missile exchanges, proxy escalations in Lebanon and Syria, and cyberattacks targeting regional infrastructure. The U.S. is already indirectly involved—its bases in Iraq and Syria are under threat, and its diplomatic channels are in overdrive trying to prevent a regional explosion.
Now Americans must ask: What would Trump do if American troops came under attack?
We don’t need to guess. We’ve seen the answer before. And it’s terrifying.
May 2017: Turkish Thugs Beat Protesters in D.C.
Let’s begin not with a war zone, but on U.S. soil—in the heart of Washington, D.C.
In May 2017, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited the capital, his security guards violently attacked peaceful American protesters outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence. Video footage showed men in suits—Erdoğan’s personal security—charging at demonstrators, kicking and punching them while local police struggled to intervene.
The attack was an egregious violation of U.S. sovereignty. Eleven people were injured, and it took place in broad daylight on American turf.
And what was Trump’s response?
Silence.
Not a forceful condemnation. Not the expulsion of Turkish diplomats. Not even a tweet.
Eventually, charges were brought against several Turkish security officers, only to be quietly dropped months later—reportedly as part of a diplomatic bargain. The message sent was clear: Trump was willing to let foreign agents commit violence against Americans on U.S. soil if it spared him an uncomfortable phone call or jeopardized a relationship with an authoritarian leader.
That’s not strength. That’s cowardice masquerading as diplomacy.
January 2020: Iran Bombards U.S. Troops—Trump Minimizes Brain Injuries
Fast-forward to January 2020. After ordering the drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, Trump put U.S. troops in Iraq in the crosshairs.
Iran retaliated with a dramatic missile barrage on Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, where hundreds of American troops were stationed. Over a dozen ballistic missiles struck their targets in a clear act of war.
Miraculously, no one was killed—but more than 100 American soldiers suffered traumatic brain injuries.
And what did Trump say?
“I heard they had headaches… and I don’t consider them very serious injuries.”
He downplayed the injuries. He mocked the trauma. And most damningly, he did not respond militarily.
This was not restraint—it was weakness. Iran had just launched a direct military strike against U.S. troops, and Trump’s only act was to retreat from accountability and minimize the damage to save face.
That’s not strategy. That’s the instinct of a man who flinches under pressure.
December 2019: A Saudi Trainee Kills Americans on a Naval Base
In December 2019, a member of the Saudi Royal Air Force, training at Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida, opened fire on his American classmates, killing three sailors and wounding several others.
This was not a random act of gun violence. The FBI determined it was a terrorist attack, and later uncovered that the shooter had been in contact with al-Qaeda operatives.
The American public demanded answers—and accountability.
Trump’s response? He praised Saudi Arabia.
“The king and crown prince of Saudi Arabia… are devastated by what took place in Pensacola, and they’re going to help the families very greatly.”
Rather than freezing military training programs or expelling Saudi personnel, Trump bent over backward to protect his relationship with Riyadh.
Three Americans were dead. The attacker was part of a foreign military program run by the Pentagon. And yet Trump showed no spine, no outrage, no policy shift.
Why? Because confronting the Saudis would have taken courage. It might have risked arms deals. So, Trump folded.
October 2017: U.S. Soldiers Ambushed in Niger
In one of the most underreported tragedies of Trump’s presidency, four U.S. soldiers were ambushed and killed in Niger during a joint patrol with local forces. The attack, linked to Islamic State militants, shocked the Pentagon and exposed how little oversight existed over U.S. troop deployments in Africa.
Trump’s response? Delay, denial, and defensiveness.
He waited nearly two weeks to comment publicly, and when he finally did, it was to claim—falsely—that he had called all Gold Star families, unlike past presidents.
His only true reaction was to lash out at critics who questioned his handling of the aftermath. There was no policy reevaluation. No public reassessment of the mission. Just another round of Trumpian bluster trying to mask his fear of real accountability.
April 2020: Iran-Backed Militias Kill Americans in Iraq
In April 2020, Iranian-backed militias launched rockets at Camp Taji in Iraq, killing two American service members and a British medic.
Trump did nothing of note.
These were U.S. citizens, killed by proxies armed and supported by Iran. But once again, Trump flinched. There was no meaningful retaliation, no sanctions escalation, no demand for international justice.
He was willing to shout threats on Twitter, but when American blood was spilled, he stayed behind the curtain—a wizard of bravado with no real resolve.
The Pattern: Bullies Abroad, Silence at Home
A pattern emerges across all these events: when Americans were in danger, when foreign actors attacked, Trump consistently chose inaction.
He prioritized photo ops over defense, public theater over private bravery.
- Turkish agents beat U.S. citizens in Washington: Trump did nothing.
- Iran bombed American troops: Trump mocked the wounded.
- A Saudi military student murdered sailors: Trump protected the Saudis.
- ISIS ambushed U.S. troops in Africa: Trump lied about his response.
- Iranian-backed militias killed Americans in Iraq: Trump looked the other way.
This isn’t leadership. It’s abdication. It’s the behavior of someone who craves power but is terrified of its consequences.
A Coward in the Face of Authoritarianism
What makes Trump’s cowardice especially dangerous in today’s context—as Iran and Israel engage in real war—is his repeated pattern of deference to authoritarian leaders.
He praised Vladimir Putin as a “strong leader.” He called North Korea’s Kim Jong-un “honorable.” He defended Erdoğan, Mohamed bin Salman, and other strongmen.
These are not allies. They are opportunists who will exploit weakness at every turn.
And weakness is exactly what Trump radiates—not the weakness of lack of force, but the weakness of character. The kind that avoids difficult truths. The kind that lets others pay the price while he basks in praise and distance.
The Iran-Israel War Demands a Real Leader
This is not a time for showmen or chest-thumpers. If the United States is pulled deeper into the Middle East conflict—either through direct attacks on troops, proxy clashes in Iraq and Syria, or pressure to defend Israel or evacuate embassies—it will require sober, principled, unflinching leadership.
Trump has proven again and again that he lacks the spine.
When Iran struck our soldiers, he blinked.
When allies were killed in training programs, he bent the knee.
When foreign governments violated our sovereignty, he turned away.
Imagine a repeat of these events amid a full-scale regional war—would Trump stand tall, or fold again?
History tells us everything we need to know.
America Can’t Afford Another Trump Retreat
The myth of Trump as a wartime president is just that—a myth.
Behind the red hats and rally slogans is a man who, when the moment truly calls for courage, shirks responsibility and lets others take the hit.
In a world where missiles are flying, oil routes are closing, and U.S. lives are at stake, we cannot afford a leader who fears the phone ringing in the night. We need someone who will answer it—not duck behind the curtain and tweet.
Trump is not that leader.
He never was.
