US Media: Trump Publicly Acts Arrogant, But Internally He Is Full of Fear

Odaily According to The Wall Street Journal, US President Donald Trump seems to have lost his "spirit of adventure," while his sense of fear is growing. Previously, in the nearly empty West Wing of the White House, shortly after learning that a US fighter jet had been shot down in Iran and two pilots were missing, Trump raged at his aides for hours. He repeatedly said, "The Europeans were of no help at all." According to people who spoke with him, images of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis have been lingering in his mind. After the American pilots were rescued, the swaggering president made a desperate gamble, attempting to undermine Iran's most powerful leverage—control over the Strait of Hormuz. At the time, Trump posted: "Open the Strait, you maniacs." The president, who has always relished creating dramatic scenes, applied his unorthodox and extreme style of operation to a war in an even more extreme manner. He alternated between adopting a bellicose posture and a conciliatory strategy, while simultaneously agonizing behind the scenes over just how bad the situation could get. He was afraid of ordering troops into dangerous areas, leading to some being injured and some not returning home, similar to other presidents who have experienced war. (Jin10)