Donald Trump's 'secret' plans reveal he has no idea what he's talking about


It seems Donald Trump has the same affinity for secrets as a preteen. In their impressive list detailing all the times Donald Trump has changed his mind since June, The Washington Post also included a couple moments when Trump bowed out of answering questions directly because he has "secrets," including that time he refused to reveal his plan to defeat ISIS to The Des Moines Register because "everyone else is going to say 'Wow, what a great idea.'"
As it turns out, Trump might like secrets more than he actually likes thinking about policy. In listing his contradictions, The Washington Post suggests Trump's problem might actually be that he has no clue what he's talking about in the first place. One example:
Version #2: [Secret plan]Bill O'Reilly, Fox News Channel: "Are you telling me you are going to send American ground troops into Syria?"Trump: "I'm not telling you anything." (June 16)Version #3: No longer secret. Send in American ground troops."I will tell you what my plan will be…You have to go in. You have to go in."O'Reilly: "With ground troops?""Well, you bomb the hell out of them and then you encircle it, and then you go in." (June 16, shortly after Version #2).Version #4: Maybe don't.O'Reilly: "There's no way you can defeat them without invading."Trump: "I disagree." (June 16, minutes after #3). [Washington Post]
That's the tricky thing about secrets, after all: In order to actually have one, you need to have an idea worth keeping mum about in the first place.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot
-
Oregon sues to stop Trump military deployment
Speed Read The president wants to send the National Guard into Portland