It was crystal clear that U.S. President Donald Trump wasn't governing even before British Ambassador to Washington Kim Darroch recently described him in leaked diplomatic cables as "radiating insecurity" and the U.S. administration as diplomatically "clumsy and inept."

A Middle East expert in Washington who's a friend of mine echoed him when she said U.S. President Donald Trump "sees virtue in surprise and unpredictability and seems to have a casual response to the threat assessments and options papers presented by the bureaucracy.

"He trusts his instincts about managing relationships with adversaries, and enjoys the chaos created as he alternately threatens and tries to engage foreign leaders." She is probably right.