It must be a coincidence. The drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani was launched just as we learned that withholding military aid from Ukraine came on “clear direction from POTUS.” Or so Michael Duffey, at the federal Office of Management and Budget, wrote in August to Elaine McCusker, acting Pentagon comptroller. Equally unexpected was the rediscovery of a Trump tweet from Nov. 29, 2011: “In order to get elected, @BarackObama will start a war with Iran.”

Please pardon my cynicism if I doubt that the drone strike and the release of yet more incriminating evidence against President Trump are unrelated. With regard to the tweet from over eight years ago, Mr. Trump clearly believes President Obama was foolish to squander such good advice.

Though Mr. Trump’s presidential credentials have been widely questioned, we must admit he is the undisputed king – of distraction, that is. Note the headlines and editorials in the Press Herald, Washington Post and other news outlets over the past few days. On a dime, the media at large shifted their focus from the Ukraine scandal to the coming War with Iran, practically to the exclusion of other news.

But neither voters nor the media should fall for such tricks. We are smarter than that. We know all too well from middle school that when the lunchroom troublemaker says, “Look over there!” and points behind you, he’s probably trying to steal your country – I mean, cookie.

Carol Gardner

Alna

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