Attacking Iran "To Show How Tough He Is" - Updated

In old tweets from 2012 and 2013, Donald Trump had some thoughts about the possibility of a president attacking Iran for political reasons:

Trump has repeatedly depicted war with Iran an something a president would do for domestic political gain.

Here are four examples 👇 pic.twitter.com/JdR1qM0BM8

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) July 23, 2018

Now consider this, from last night and in all caps, no less:

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

Update: As you would expect there's been a huge response to this tweet. I'm not going to post everything I see but I'll start with this:

Trump must expect and fear, and indeed seems to be panicking about, forthcoming bad news in the Russia investigation. Are new indictments imminent—this time of Americans? What’s in the other Cohen tapes? Has Manafort flipped? https://t.co/ftqfi4sZJX

— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) July 23, 2018

To say I disagree with Bill Kristol about almost everything is an understatement and it feels strange to be posting one of his tweets here in the blog. While I'm on a roll, however, I'll also post part of his new article at the Weekly Standard titled "A Case of the Mondays." He says some nice things about Brett Kavanaugh, which I don't agree with, then says this (and note, for the record, I did not vote for Donald Trump and I do not agree to any degree with his presidency:) 

…like many other prosaic people, I can, in the spirit of The Federalist, try to contain two thoughts in my mind at the same time.

They are: Donald Trump is in many ways a bad president—bad for the country, bad for conservatism, bad for the Republican party. His sway over party and policy should be limited as much as is feasible and his dominance of our politics not extended any longer than necessary.

And Brett Kavanaugh is a good pick and should be confirmed to the Supreme Court.

In this spirit, I would also say that one might have voted for Donald Trump. One might approve to some degree of his presidency so far. But that does not mean that one approves forever or automatically, or that one is impervious to evidence of unfitness.

Soon after the midterm elections, it will be worth a step back, a deep breath, and a hard look. It will be worth asking then—as Americans, as conservatives, as Republicans—do we want four more years of a Trump presidency? No need then to relitigate who was right about this or wrong about that in 2016 or 2017 or 2018. What will be needed is to be open-minded about the right course ahead.

As our greatest president put it: “As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.” Can’t we act in the spirit of Lincoln in the age of Trump? (Read the article here.)