President Donald Trump’s latest act in the Oval Office is less commander-in-chief and more political theater. After launching airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, he immediately declared the mission “one of the most successful in history” and insisted that the sites had been “completely destroyed.” But as usual, the headline didn’t match the intelligence—or the outcome.

Even before the first missile hit Iranian soil, his own Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, had told Congress that Iran was not rebuilding its nuclear weapons program. Trump’s response? “She’s wrong.” That’s it. No facts, no counter-briefing—just presidential ego steamrolling professional expertise.

And once the smoke cleared, reality told a different story. According to a preliminary Pentagon assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the airstrikes caused surface-level damage to the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan sites. But Iran’s centrifuges were left intact, and perhaps most significantly, Tehran had already moved 880 pounds of enriched uranium—enough for multiple nuclear warheads—before the bombs even dropped. The intelligence community warned of this possibility. Trump dismissed it.

The president’s reaction? Triple down. On Truth Social, he barked:

“FAKE NEWS CNN, TOGETHER WITH THE FAILING NEW YORK TIMES, HAVE TEAMED UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEMEAN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY. THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED! BOTH THE TIMES AND CNN ARE GETTING SLAMMED BY THE PUBLIC!”

Because in Trump’s world, journalism is only valid if it comes with pom-poms and a standing ovation.

This wasn’t a masterclass in military precision—it was a lesson in political delusion. Trump ignored intelligence, preemptively declared victory, and then attacked anyone who dared tell the public the truth. The real casualties weren’t Iran’s nuclear ambitions. They were the facts, the credibility of the Oval Office, and the relationship between elected power and professional intelligence.

Trump has turned the presidency into a stage production, and the American people are stuck watching “Mission Accomplished 2: Facts Don’t Matter”—a show headlined by a nauseating little clown who still confuses shouting with strategy and bravado with brains.

The truth isn’t partisan. It’s just inconvenient for those who refuse to face it.