I cannot decide whether Trump and Hegseth are acting John Wayne re-runs in their statements about the War or if they’ve taken their style and lines from professional wrestlers. I think it is the latter. I’ve seen ads on youtube promoting professional wrestlers’ slapdowns that involve “interviews” with one or both of the big-name contenders. In these interviews the wrestler complains bitterly about the past behavior and attitude of his opponent and promises that opponent’s utter destruction and embarrassment.

Trump and Hegseth who know nothing of war except what they’ve seen in movies, on television, and at slapdowns are left with only intemperate cliches to predict the pseudo-successes of their real war.