Belle of the Ranch
Let's talk about Trump saying experts couldn't predict what every expert predicted....
18 Mar 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Well, howdy there, Internet people. It's Belle again. So today, we're going to talk about Trump claiming no experts predicted what every expert predicted. As Trump struggles with the consequences of his decision and begs other countries to commit military resources to resolve the situation he created...
He has started a frankly bizarre new line of talking points that nobody could have known that Iran would respond against neighboring countries that allowed a U.S. presence.
Chapter 2: What did Trump claim about expert predictions?
This statement from Trump really only has a couple of possible explanations. First, let's go over exactly what he said. Quote, They have all of those missiles. And I heard they were sending missiles to UAE. I said, that's strange. You know, UAE is like the banker for Iran. They're like the banker.
Chapter 3: What are the implications of Trump's claims on military strategy?
Qatar, they're neighbors. They got along okay. Saudi Arabia. All of a sudden, Kuwait. Kuwait is getting hit. Bahrain is getting... All these countries are getting hit. There was no expert that would say that was going to happen. It's not a question of like, gee, should you have known? And if we did know, big deal. I mean, we have to do what we have to do.
There was no expert that would say that was going to happen. Or maybe lots of experts said that was going to happen. Repeatedly. The problem is he doesn't have any actual experts in the room. This is a clip from February 19th. The country is promising retaliation for any attack. Trump has pulled a number of US officials from the region. He has also pulled what looks like all US troops from Syria.
This is reducing Iran's targets for retaliation. Okay, so in that clip nine days before the war, we're already seeing assets moved to get them out of the way for Iran's counterattack. But maybe the experts really didn't know, or they weren't thinking about missiles. Okay, so this is a clip from February 11th. In multiple locations at U.S.
installations across the Mideast, Patriot and THAAD missile systems were deployed. Most people are familiar with the Patriot, but real quick, it's a defensive missile system that takes down missiles, drones, etc., and protects high-value targets.
Chapter 4: How did experts respond to Trump's statements?
It generally engages stuff at lower altitudes. THAAD, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, defends a wider area at higher altitudes, as the name suggests. It's for ballistic missiles. So the systems going live and being deployed in the way they have obviously means something. The U.S. is threatening to hit Iran again. Iran is saying they'll strike back.
Iran's preferred method is to use drones and missiles. These systems are being deployed to intercept the inevitable counterattack that would occur if Trump launches another operation against Iran. If Trump was bluffing, the military wouldn't be putting these systems out. Somebody could say it's coincidence or an unconnected event planned in advance. Not really.
The way these systems are being deployed is in their most mobile form. These aren't meant to be a permanent layer of security. This is specifically for the Iran counterattack. That was a full 17 days before the war. The systems deployed across the Mideast are specifically for missiles and drones. This was absolutely predicted. It was such an obvious move that DOD acted on it in advance.
Experts did know, but Trump's team was apparently shocked by the development. Take from that what you will. Shocked isn't my word. Trump also said, Nobody expected that. We were shocked. The greatest experts. Nobody thought they were going to hit. We know because of the deployment of the THAAD and the Patriot systems and removal of personnel that DOD absolutely foresaw this weeks in advance.
So, what are we supposed to make of Trump's statements? Either he doesn't remember what he's told, or his staff doesn't see the point in informing him because they think they know better, or the military didn't loop the administration in out of fear of it ending up in a signal chat, or he is desperately trying to play dumb so he doesn't get blamed for the damage his elective war caused to U.S.
bases and U.S. relationships in the region. Experts did absolutely predict this. Then they acted on it. If we're at the point where the military is taking steps to mitigate against the damage Trump could cause without looping in the administration, well, let's just say that would be unprecedented. Anyway, it's just a thought. Y'all have a good day.
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