MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The U.S. launched new airstrikes against Iran early this morning. Tehran responded with strikes on targets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. It was the second straight day of attacks that throw into question an interim deal to end the war, and the strikes come just three weeks after President Trump praised Iranian leaders as brave people who wanted to change the direction of their country. In a dramatic shift in tone Wednesday, Trump accused those same Iranian leaders of lying.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore. They're scum. You know what scum is? They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people. And they're vicious, violent people.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The president made those comments during the NATO summit in Turkey. In a few minutes, we'll hear from Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who led a bipartisan delegation of lawmakers to that summit. But first, NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez joins us to talk about the diplomatic whiplash that has come to define Trump's approach to global affairs. Franco, I just called it whiplash. A fair word to use?
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ, BYLINE: I think it is, A. I mean, and it's really part of this pattern that we've kind of been talking about for some time now, whether it's, you know, announcing the war's over or almost over when it's clearly not, to dramatically swinging between praise and threats over the course of a few hours. I mean, it's really like these different faces of the same president trying to will this war to an end. And you can almost here really hear Trump struggling with that balance, even telling reporters later, insisting that the war will not start again.
MARTÍNEZ: What did Trump say when asked about these obvious contradictions?
ORDOÑEZ: Well, he was asked about it, and he strained a bit to kind of square the two conflicting assessments of, you know, those Iranian leaders.
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TRUMP: I think they are more rational, but based on their actions over the last week or two, they're not doing a service to the people. And I think more than anything else is I got to know them, and I'm not sure I want to make a deal with them. We can play games, but I'm not sure I want to make a deal.
ORDOÑEZ: You know, the thing, A, is with Trump is when he makes these kind of threats, you never really know if it's actually a change in policy or simply a negotiating tactic.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. And, Franco, it's not just Iran. I mean, his approach to NATO has also generated a lot of whiplash too. I mean, it seems like through the end, though, allies might be more appreciative of this kind of reversal.
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. That's right. Trump went into this summit with a lot of complaints about NATO. I mean, he's really still mad over NATO leaders' lack of support for the war in Iran, and he's complained also about defense spending and revived concerns about the U.S. taking control of Greenland from Denmark, something that really frustrates allies. But during the press conference, Trump actually spoke warmly of NATO leaders in ways I've never heard him do before. I mean, let's just listen a little bit.
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TRUMP: If you could've seen the respect and the love in the room, and it's love really for the country, for our country. I don't want to say me 'cause you'll say, oh, he's so conceited, he's such a conceited person. But they do. I mean, you know, they like the job I'm doing. They said, we love - oh, sir, we love you.
ORDOÑEZ: You know, Trump has said in the past that he wants loyalty from allies, and they certainly came into this summit wanting to keep Trump engaged and happy.
MARTÍNEZ: So what about Trump's announcement - also somewhat of a reversal too - that U.S. would be granting Ukraine license to manufacture Patriot air defense missiles?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. I'm sure that was also part of it. It almost appears that Trump's newfound support for Ukraine, along with the charm offenses, has fostered this renewed sense of camaraderie among NATO leaders when that seems to be reciprocated towards Trump.
MARTÍNEZ: That is White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez. Franco, thanks.
ORDOÑEZ: Thanks, A. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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