How to interpret Trump’s head-spinning pivots on Iran and Russia

Trump’s rhetorical reversals are welcome, but it’s hard to know what to make of them.

President Donald Trump is not exactly known as a model of consistency, but, even by his standards, he executed two head-spinning U-turns at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, last week — one on Iran, the other on Ukraine.

Last month, just before signing a memorandum of understanding that offered Iran billions of dollars in economic benefits in return for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Trump lavished praise on Iran’s leaders. “They were nice to deal with,” he said, adding that they were “strong” and “smart people” who are “not radicalized” and are “looking to help their country.”

Last week, following Iranian attacks on ships in the strait, Trump described Iran’s leaders as “scum,” “sick people,” “liars,” and “vicious, violent people,” and said the ceasefire was “over.” He ordered retaliatory military strikes and revoked the sanctions waiver the Treasury Department had provided for Iran to sell its oil.