Without a doubt, the special relationship is due for repair.
As Donald Trump left the tarmac at Dover Air Base, the president in mournful tribute to America’s fall, his attention turned to the UK prime minister.
Trump is clearly bruised by an old ally turning his back on him in his hour of need.
After all, a president who maintains America’s alliances on America’s terms questions why international law should come between old friends.
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In Iran, the legitimacy of the conflict remains a point of contention.
That is important for a warrior president in the fight to justify the conflict Iran And, perhaps, elsewhere (Trump can’t stop talking about change in Cuba).
Polls show a majority of Americans against military intervention, and the country faces the threat of rising gas prices.
Trump needs political capital and, as such, could well use the validation of allies.
Stormer Trump is not alone in standing firm on Iran, but the president has singled out a special relationship for special treatment.
Casting himself as a bridge-builder across the Atlantic, the UK prime minister has invested heavily in building rapport with Trump.
Read more:
Analysis: Donald Trump’s war with Iran is global
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It is not surprising that the US president chose him as the point man on points of conflict.
And yet, it was a glorious day at Dover Air Base in Delaware.
In this conflict, from this White House, dignity will not be granted.
Dover Air Force Base was the setting for Saturday’s “honorable transfer” of six American soldiers killed in combat.
The President cut a man of mourning as he stood in honor of six US soldiers killed in action, a solemn duty of the Commander-in-Chief.
It was a stark contrast to the image his administration presented during the week-long war.
Take a look at the social media content White House staff have posted in recent days.
He posted short films depicting the invasion of Iraq as a video game. Footage of the destruction is intercut with a “point-of-view” video in which you, the viewer, hold the weapon.
You can almost hear the sniggering and high-fiving of the production team playing it for likes.
It is jingoism and triumphalism for the modern age, and in conflict, perhaps there is a place for both.
In context, it’s tone deaf and tasteless.
The military operation has claimed the lives of hundreds of different nationalities across the vast region, and Trump is warning that more US casualties are “likely”.
Currently, Americans are facing questions about possible involvement in the bombing of an all-girls school that killed more than 160 young people — something Trump claimed was “done by Iran” during a gaggle on Air Force One.
Reminders are everywhere of the horrors of war and its enduring trauma.
It is a military operation with many uncertainties surrounding its rationale and its objectives.
Turning it into entertainment on social media minimizes the impact on all concerned.
It is jarring as an exaggeration that passes as commentary from political players in the administration.
The dignified transfer of US troops drew attention to the absolute certainty of war, reinforced by time – its tragedy and its loss revealed.
There are no likes in it.
