The Weekly WTF: Trump out-gaffes Biden

Also, Belgium gloats, Air Force One flops, and Wall Street pumps SpaceX

The Belgian Shimmy. After Belgium beat the United States in the World Cup on July 6, their players mocked President Trump by doing their version of the “Trump Dance,” while singing the Trump anthem “YMCA.” That was payback for Trump intervening in the tournament and persuading organizer FIFA to overturn a one-game suspension that would have kept a US star out of the match with Belgium. Trump seemed to be bullying FIFA to give the US men’s team an advantage, but it didn’t work. Belgium trounced the Americans, 4-1. Then they danced.

Will Trump seek retribution? He could order a US invasion of Belgium, which has had a hard time defending itself, historically. Or he could wage a trade war with Belgium. They export cocoa, pastries and some pretty good beer to the United States. Stock up.

Intimations of mortality. At the NATO summit gathering in Turkey on July 8, Trump told the world that Iran might assassinate him. “I may be gone, because I'm their No. 1 target,” Trump said.

That is almost certainly true. Iran is a terrorist state that would probably kill Trump if it could. It may have already tried. Iran would consider it justice for all the Iranian leaders the US and Israeli militaries killed after Trump launched the Iran war on February 28.

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When a reporter asked Trump about this on Air Force One afterward, Trump said, “I’m No. 1 on their list. But if I go, you go.” He seemed to be referring to the plane itself, as if there were some Iranian effort underway to blow up or shoot down the president’s aircraft.

Something fishy is going on with Air Force One. Trump flew to Turkey on the refurbished jet Qatar gifted him, which the Air Force has retrofitted to comply with the president’s security and communication needs. But Trump flew out of Turkey on the old Air Force One, which was built from scratch to military specs. The two planes are both Boeing 747s, but they’re easy to distinguish. The old one has light blue livery, while the Qatari vintage has red.

Trump first told reporters they were taking the older version “for old time’s sake,” and also so the newer model could go to a US base in England, so servicemembers could take a tour. That seemed like a ruse, so the White House later said the plane switcheroo was part of a “misdirection” effort, as if bad guys were on Trump’s tail and the Secret Service needed to shake them. 🙄

More likely, the retrofitted plane lacks advanced security measures such as anti-missile defenses and aerial refueling capability, as the New York Times reported. The fact that Trump is discussing this publicly is a tell. It sounds like intelligence detected some threat to Trump in Turkey—which borders Iran—and briefed Trump on it. It could have been a plan to shoot down Air Force One. That’s probably why it was on his mind. Then the Secret Service decided they needed the old plane for maximum security.

Trump can fly around in his fancy free jet when he’s back home and the skies are safer.

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Shinto Muslims. Trump said on July 8 that the “Islamic Republic of Japan” had fired 111 missiles at a US aircraft carrier. It was an obvious slip. He meant Iran, not Japan. But how does a brain substitute Japan for Iran? Because they sort of rhyme?

We’re calling it. Trump’s gaffes have surpassed Joe Biden’s impressive tally. Presidential age limits, anyone?

Trump ^💗 Zelensky? Trump may have finally realized he’s been backing the wrong side in the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump has sharply cut back on US aid to Ukraine, while repeatedly spouting Russian talking points meant to justify President Vladimir Putin’s barbaric invasion. But at the NATO summit on July 8, Trump said he supports Ukrainian strikes deep into Russia, aimed at dismantling Putin’s energy infrastructure. Trump also said he’d allow Ukraine to make Patriot interceptors, which it desperately needs to defend against Russian missile barrages. He also praised Ukrainians’ bravery and said more US military cooperation with Ukraine was possible.

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This is a stark change in posture for Trump. Maybe he somehow realized that Ukrainians are the good guys and Putin is the enemy. More likely, Trump has caught on that the tide of the war is turning in Ukraine’s favor—and he just wants to be aligned with the winning side.

Also: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shut off Russian access to the Starlink Internet service earlier this year, while Ukraine still has access. That has given Ukraine a big advantage in navigation and communications and helped with strikes that are wrecking Russia’s battlefield logistics. Trump and Musk are complex people, objectionable in many ways. But they could help Ukraine win if they wanted to. 🤞

Mitch mum. The staff of Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell is denying rumors that he’s dead. The Kentucky senator appears to have had a heart attack at his Washington, DC home in mid June, with emergency responders finding him unconscious. He’s been in the hospital ever since, and hasn’t said anything publicly.

If McConnell dies or vacates his seat, an interesting drama could develop over who replaces him. Normally, a state’s governor would appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the term. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is a Democrat, so he’d likely appoint one of his own, which would cut the Republican majority in the Senate from three to two.

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But Kentucky’s overwhelmingly Republican legislature passed a law in 2024 saying that if anything happens to McConnell, his seat is to remain vacant until the next election. That was a blatant effort to prevent Bashear from appointing a Democrat, as McConnell’s health worsened. The law may be unconstitutional and Beshear could challenge it by appointing a McConnell replacement and sending the whole matter to the courts.

McConnell is retiring, and two other candidates are running for his seat. So a Beshear appointee would have a very brief tenure. But if a Democrat takes the job, even for a short spell, the power of incumbency could help in the November election. Another Democrat could also scramble a few Senate votes into 2027, when the November winner would take office. Beshear is a possible presidential contender and would probably welcome the opportunity.

SpaceX, wink wink. More than a dozen Wall Street analysts published their first recommendations on Elon Musk’s rocket company this week, and the average target price is $242 per share, according to S&P Global. The highest estimate is $800 per share, from Raymond James. The stock meanwhile, trades at around $147, 37% lower than the Wall Street target price. And it’s down 27% from its peak on June 16, which was two days after SpaceX went public.

Target prices are typically forecasts for what analysts think the stock will trade at in 12 months. So SpaceX could grow into the Wall Street consensus. But Wall Street critics argue the price targets are inflated by investment banks eager to please the company and get a chunk of future business. As a reminder, Morningstar—which is a research firm, not an investment bank—values SpaceX at just $63 per share.

Musk clearly favors the stratospheric view. On July 9, he said on social media that “SpaceX will be worth more than the rest of Earth if we accomplish our goals.” If you believe that, add 10 or 20 zeroes to that $800 target.

Enjoy a cartoon.

Cartoon by Alexei Talimonov

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