At an unfortunately timed event held in Miami to promote US investment in Saudi Arabia, the president of the United States told his audience that they could ask him about anything, even sex, and that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, although “a great son” to his father, the king, “did not think he would be kissing my ass... He thought he [Trump] would be just another American president that was a loser, where the country was going downhill. But now he has to be nice to me.”
If only those typically off-colour remarks marked the limits of Donald Trump’s foolishness. Far more consequential, and worryingly indicative of delusion, were his declarations that the Iranians were “begging to make a deal” and that they’d “have to” open up the Strait of Hormuz, which he misnamed the “Strait of Trump” as his little joke. As Mr Trump was performing his trademark “weave”, Iranian missiles and drones were raining down on the Prince Sultan US airbase in Saudi Arabia, injuring 12 American service personnel and damaging a number of planes, including an E-3 Sentry, an airborne warning and control system aircraft, a key piece of equipment of which the US Air Force has a very limited fleet. Although ageing, it was worth about $300m.
