Easter prayers

It was reasonable to assume that the Iran war would come to an end this Holy Week. After all, all the Catholics were out there doing penitence, visiting churches, taking pictures, and then boasting about their accomplishments on social media.

Then came the firing of Pam Bondi, erstwhile attorney general of Trump-landia. That could have been a gift to those praying for justice for the victims of Epstein. From a prayerful perspective, it was heaven-sent. But one wonders if this was merely a bone thrown at media to stop them braying about the American losses in the Iran war.

Most pundits seem to agree that America is losing not just Iran, but the bigger battle: capturing the hearts and minds of the global audience. No one is rooting for Team USA now. But that doesn’t matter to Trump’s administration. Spin it, they will, until they’re blue in the face.

Of course, the Trumpists still hold the ultimate weapon. The nuclear bombs they have at their disposal allows them to have the last word. I wouldn’t doubt there are some poor underlings, inexperienced lawyers who have suddenly been promoted to incompetency because their more principled superiors have resigned or were sacked, are now researching on how Trump can deploy nuclear weapons while avoiding being charged for war crimes.

Next up will be the firing of Kash Patel, the incompetent FBI director. Then Pete Hegseth, who has now gutted the very institution that can help America salvage the situation by firing top military brass. Trump will go through these patsies to deflect blame from himself, and the resulting press noise might be enough to blot out even more negative coverage of American gas prices, the jobs report, and the tanking economy.

We’ve read reports that not only is it the top general, but shockingly, as much as a dozen generals, that have been fired by Hegseth. All supposedly because they disagreed with the proposed strategy to put ground troops in Iran. So Hegseth will replace them, and soon Hegseth will himself be replaced? Musical chairs, military edition.

Next up: Trump will nominate even more objectionable replacements to the positions of FBI director, attorney general, and War secretary. These replacements will in all probability be odious sycophants, supremely unqualified, and boast of fantastic boot-licking capabilities, and the resulting uproar will suffice to likewise deflect attention from the degradation of America.

After years of observing Trump, he has revealed more and more about his character and decision-making that we can predict his moves with a degree of accuracy. Plus, we also know now not to believe him when he first opens his mouth. Tariff wars? Annex Greenland? Invade Cuba? Cancel Zohran Mamdani?

Let’s roll our eyes first, and wait for Trump to TACO.

If the Iran war is to end, we had better float a scenario that will make Trump come out smelling like his lobby on Fifth Avenue. A spin that will satisfy his ego, and preserve his ability to boast he’s a winner. Not a nuke, of course, but something that will allow him to save face, and then exit the region to acclaim and adulation.

After all, he has already retreated to the position of claiming that it was all about ensuring that Iran won’t be able to build nuclear weapons. And he has boasted of killing all their leaders already. He thinks those middle managers won’t know how to operate the machinery of Iranian government. Mission accomplished.

But the Strait of Hormuz is still closed? Oh, he has already deflected the blame to those countries who won’t try to open it themselves.

How about if Israel suddenly pulls out of the war? Then Trump can say it was only ever about supporting its ally, and America’s duty to aid Israel has been accomplished. Or what if Trump is offered a new reality show? Maybe that might be enough to induce him to quit. Or what if another nation invokes the very same arguments that he used to kidnap Maduro out of his home country, and he is suddenly spirited away to The Hague for his war crimes?

My prayers this Easter season are getting more creative.