The potential human, economic and geopolitical costs of this demolition derby are harrowing and perilous, but none of it should be surprising. “NO PLAN” could be fashioned into a billboard fixed atop the 90,000-square-foot ballroom Trump wants to attach to the White House. And his hasty, tumultuous and open-ended prosecution of the Iran war thus far is entirely in character. The president — as heir to a sizable fortune, haphazard developer, dysfunctional casino impresario, reality TV curiosity, ubiquitous self-promoter and tectonic political force — has spent most of his nearly 80 years flying without maps.

 

Trump Has Never Been a Planner, and in War That’s Deadly

March 12, 2026 at 5:00 AM EDT

By Timothy L O'Brien

Timothy L. O'Brien is senior executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion. A former editor and reporter for the New York Times, he is author of “TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald.”