Trump tries to mold US military to his image
By: Rodney Jaleco | Published: June 29, 2025
Reading Time: 5 minutes
WASHINGTON D.C. — The American strike on Iranian nuclear sites was spectacular – showcasing the unique capabilities of the US military – and largely applauded despite initial battle damage assessment casting doubt it achieved all of its declared objectives.
When Pres. Donald Trump’s ordered on June 21 a flight of B-2 bombers to drop 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs on Fordow and at least two other underground nuclear facilities, it was his most significant military decision since green-lighting the assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani during his first term in 2020.
They were bold and risky, but paid handsome dividends to his “presidential creds”, perhaps outlining Trump’s predilections as commander-in-chief.
On June 13, Israel launched a surprise attack on key Iranian military and nuclear facilities, borrowing from the Ukrainian tactic of planting armed drones near targets and activating on command. It neutralized much of Iran’s anti-aircraft capabilities and allowed Israeli jets – refueled by US airborne tankers – total control of the Iranian airspace and attack targets at will, including killing top generals.
Pres. Trump has vowed to stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb. The Persian nation’s defiance has deeply destabilized an already volatile Middle East, fueling fears in Israel and pushing Saudi Arabia, a longtime foe, to flirt with developing its own nuclear weapons. Reports that Iran has achieved 60 percent uranium enrichment, the level from which they can start building a bomb, was said to have triggered the Israeli attack.
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Iran had buried hundreds of centrifuges and other critical equipment used to enrich uranium deep inside mountains in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, among others. Israel did not have the ability to destroy them so Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Pres. Trump to “finish the job” that he began.
Only the US had the ordnance to penetrate hundreds of feet of mountain and reinforced concrete. The Israeli leader, who’s been dog-leading American presidents for years, was well aware of this before he attacked Iran, and may have outdone himself by setting the stage for his friend, Pres. Trump.
Thirty-one of the 45 US presidents have served in the military, including three generals. Mr. Trump was given a medical deferment, evading the Vietnam War-era draft. Though he went to the New York Military Academy – a private boarding school – he had very little interaction with the US military until he was elected president. He often falls on Cold War imagery and sometimes further back (as when he extolled Gen. George Patton, who fought in World War II).
Although he likes to cloth himself with the patriotism and popularity of the US Armed Forces, he has a very scant, shallow understanding of the institution and so wants to mold it to something he does.
The author of “The Art of the Deal” successfully married his careers in business and media, earning prominence with “The Apprentice” and styling himself with professional wrestlers with the staged fights and name-calling, which manifest time and again, during the campaign and in the White House.
His MAGA base is more war-averse than the typical Republican or the general American audience – a reluctance evident in the president who often invoke “World War 3” to justify his refusal to confront Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin. After Mr. Netanyahu put him on the spot about bombing Iran, he appeared torn – meeting with both Pentagon hawks and MAGA doves – driving wild speculation in Washington.
On hindsight, Mr. Netanyahu made it easy for the US and Pres. Trump. Israel made possible a rare opportunity to take out Iran’s underground nuclear facilities, decisively and with the kind of minimal risks for US bombers that might never come again. Pres. Trump is apparently more averse of failure than the actual possibility of war.
It gave an opening for Pres. Trump to take the global centerstage, to bask in the prowess and glory of the US military, project an image of unassailable strength, quiet the “TACO” (Trump Always Chickens Out) crowd, and move him closer – in his mind at least – to a prized dream – the Nobel Peace Prize.
From the time he named army veteran and former Fox News personality Pete Hegseth to the Defense Department, to their deployment at the Mexican border and in Los Angeles, to the controversial army parade in Washington, Pres. Trump wants a performative military. He yearns for a “show” like what the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites provided. He demands it from his Cabinet picks, including Mr. Hegseth, and now expects it from American troops.
With initial assessment indicating the US attack failed to achieve what Mr. Trump characterized as “obliteration” of Iranian nuclear facilities, there is speculation whether the US or Israel might bomb them again. If the past is prologue, the answer for American Commander-in-Chief Trump is apparently – only if it gives the world a show.
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