The Russians aren’t backing Trump on his story of getting Al Baghdadi, calling his announcement “propaganda”.  The Russian defense ministry says that Russia was not involved and even doubted that the raid killed the actual Al Baghdadi saying that Syria has claimed several times to have already killed him.  The shifting stories between the Pentagon, the White House, and His Orangeness’ mouth has added a lot of doubt to whether the entire tale is actually true or not.

Typical in Trumpland – nothing is clear, and everything is loud.

You knew it was going to happen – after wrecking millions of Americans’ quiet Sunday morning with an almost hour long display of boasting and lying, the truth about the raid is coming out.  The truth is that the Pentagon has been planning a raid to kill the ISIS leader since last summer after the Kurds had captured one of his wives and a courier who talked.  Those detailed plans were completely disrupted with Trump’s sudden pullout of Kurdish territory allowing Turkey, Russia, and Assad’s forces to rush in.

Rather than wait and risk Trump stupidly pulling everyone else out, a risky night raid by Delta Force was hurriedly put together.  Also, in spite of Trump abandoning the Kurds, they continued to assist US forces prepare for the raid.  They got lucky and got Al Baghdadi in spite of Trump’s incompetence, not because of his leadership.  Oh, and all the dramatic account of hearing Baghdadi’s screaming and crying that he heard on the feed?  That’s a lie, too.  No other person has confirmed that, and, as JJ pointed out, Trump was on the golf course during the raid, not in the situation room.

Are we great yet?