Israeli expert: Trump will rapidly become unfit to continue as president
Is US President Donald Trump leading the Free World towards a free fall?
By MAARIV ONLINE, JOY BERNARDUpdated: OCTOBER 9, 2017 14:34US President Trump addresses the 72nd United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York(photo credit: REUTERS/SHANNON STAPLETON)
Senior members of US President Donald Trump's administration are explicitly expressing a concern that the president's conduct and decision-making are putting America on the wrong path as well as indicating that Trump is not fit for presidency.The most recent accusation came from Republican Senator Bob Corker, who told The New York Times that Trump was placing the American nation "on the path to World War Three.""He concerns me," Corker told the Times. "He would have to concern anyone who cares about our nation," the senator charged. Corker, who recently announced his impending retirement, also accused the president of acting like "he's doing 'The Apprentice' or something," referring to the reality television show Trump hosted in the past.So should the public be concerned by the flying accusations? Is Donald Trump truly leading the Free World towards a free fall?Israeli Professor Eytan Gilboa, an expert on media and international relations, head of the School of Communications at Bar Ilan University and a senior researcher at the Begin Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, believes that while some of the claims have a base in reality, others are slander that derives purely from political competition.Regarding the pending threat of a Third World War that Corker heeded against, Gilboa said in an interview Monday with Israel Radio that he thinks it's an "exaggerated term."However, Gilboa did note that the potential threats Trump is engaging with are very real. "The head of the Senate International Relations Committee links the threat [emanating from] Iran to that coming from North Korea, and justifiably so... for 25 years nothing has been done [about these threats] and as a result of that, North Korea is very close to holding nuclear weapons and sending missiles with nuclear detonators to the US and maybe to the entire world."Gilboa added that the extent of the accusations against Trump is serious enough to cause alarm. "Such statements [against a US president] were not heard in modern history. It's been claimed that the White House is [operating under Trump] like a kindergarten. The chairman of the International Relations Committee is repeating things that were said discreetly and that's also the standpoint of the senators.""A few days ago, a survey was released in which the American people were asked if President Trump is 'level-headed,' 70 percent claimed he wasn't, and from that you can conclude that there are doubts about how fit Trump is to be sitting in the White House," Gilboa continued.Sharing his personal assessment, Gilboa said that he believes that Trump is on the brink of being unfit to function as US president. "Trump is going to pull a trick on Iran, he will not certify whether or not Iran is upholding the nuclear deal as he ought to, instead he will ask Congress to rule on the matter. He will say that he does not approve [of the fact] that Iran is upholding the agreement, but, on the other hand, he also won't say that he doesn't believe that Iran is upholding the agreement, thus leaving the decision to Congress. It's important because Trump doesn't have a majority in Congress and he does not have allies, therefore quickly turning him into a leader who can't rule."
When asked about the possibility of Trump getting ousted from the White House, Gilboa answered: "It's complicated and dangerous, there has to be a good enough reason to remove him from office... without a doubt, what's happening in recent days strengthens the opposition against him."Reuters contributed to this report.
