President Trump's Iran post was vulgar; the strategy might be brilliant

To say that there has never been a U.S. President like Donald J. Trump would be an understatement, but is it all part of a master plan? His recent social media post on Easter is 'Exhibit A' reminder that he is truly unconventional and yes, crass at times. It read as follows: 

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the !@#$%&?# Strait, you crazy !@#$%&?#, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.” 

Of course, the version posted above is heavily redacted and let’s be clear: to see a U.S. president use such vulgar language like this is wrong on so many levels. There’s no excuse for it. That’s not debatable. But what is debatable and why he did it in such over-the-top terms deserves further scrutiny.  

You see a Truth Social post from Donald Trump – big threats, hard deadline, aggressive language – and the immediate reaction is, ‘What is he doing??’ However, at a much deeper level, this isn’t the ravings of a madman like the liberals would have you believe. This isn’t chaos; it's calculated pressure. 

In short, this is 'The Art of the Deal.' With Trump, everything he does must always be filtered through his best-selling book and his life’s mantra. That's the whole story right there. 

If you’ve followed Trump at all – business, politics, whatever – you know this isn’t new. It’s very on-brand. 

Donald Trump always starts big and doesn’t tiptoe into anything. Never has. In his book, "The Art of the Deal," he basically says it straight up: “I aim very high, and then I just keep pushing…” That’s the mindset. 

So, when he drops something loud and provocative, it’s not him losing control. It’s him setting the ceiling. He wants the other side – whether it’s Iran or anyone else – thinking: “Wait… is he serious?” Because once that question is in their head, he’s already got leverage. 

Of course, let’s be honest here – the tone is not exactly diplomatic to say the least. It’s blunt. It’s raw. Sometimes it makes you do a double-take. But that’s part of the whole thing: Shock, dominance and unpredictability. That's Trump’s style in three words. 

He wants attention. He wants a reaction. He wants people off balance. If the other side is scrambling to figure him out, they’re not in control – he is. 

It even goes beyond that.  He put a time on it. Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET. Trump isn’t just talking. There’s now a clock...and it’s ticking. When there’s a clock, the other side has to make a decision: Ignore him and risk it or respond and engage (read: diplomacy). Either way, they’re playing his game now. 

Of course, this only works if the threat is real. Iran will ignore all of this if they think it’s just talk. But Iran knows that Trump’s reputation is that he’s willing to act. He wants peace, but will go to war in the mightiest of ways to secure the peace. 

However, the Art of the Deal here goes even further. Most people might think that if President Trump follows through, the deal is dead. Well, certainly the deal is dead in the short term, but not in the long term. The deal doesn’t die. It just changes. 

Making a threat and then following through will put Iran in an even worse position to negotiate and to Trump, that’s what it’s all about: get a deal and make sure you get the best terms by acquiring the most leverage. 

Taking the conflict to a new level cements that. Either way, he’s trying to stay in control of the situation. 

Is all of this very dangerous? Yes, of course. This isn’t a business deal over a building. This is real-world stuff , including not just uber-military action but global consequences and a lot of moving pieces.  

There’s no doubt that the strategy behind this Art of the Deal leaves us with many questions. Among them: 

• Will U.S. ground troops be pulled in? 

• Which power plants will be targeted, and how many – if any – are linked solely to civilian infrastructure without a military connection?

• Would potential strikes be considered war crimes under the Geneva Convention? 

• What will the people of Iran do in response? 

• How much suffering will take place among the people, and would they turn on the U.S. because of it? 

• Could we be looking at the makings of a humanitarian disaster and mass migration to other neighboring countries?

There are real risks here. Things can spiral. Miscalculations happen. That’s just reality.  

But in Trump’s world, it’s all worth the risk. He believes that sometimes the Art of the Deal requires strength, pressure and provocative posts to get results. You can agree or disagree with that, but that’s clearly the play here. 

Should he have posted the filthy treat on Easter of all days? No. But looking at this more broadly, all of this isn't random. It’s not him just popping off.

It’s a strategy: Go big, be loud (and apparently crude, too), set a deadline, make people take it seriously and then see who blinks first.