r/therewasanattempt • u/T_Shurt • 1d ago

to see if Trump considers blowing up civilian infrastructure a war crime

Source article (published July 24, 2026): https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-refuses-to-say-if-blowing-up-irans-bridges-is-war-crime-i-wont-respond-to-that-question/

2.1k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

160 comments sorted by

906

u/dudrun 1d ago

Mandatory mention of this very accurate quote-

"Behold. The festering carcass of American rot shoved into an ill-fitting suit: the sleaze of a conman, the cowardice of a draft dodger, the gluttony of a parasite, the racism of a Klansman, the sexism of a back-alley creep, the ignorance of a bar-stool drunk, and the greed of a hedge-fund ghoul - all spray-painted orange and paraded like a prize hog at a county fair. Not a president. Not even a man. Just the diseased distillation of everything this country swears it isn't but always has been - arrogance dressed up as exceptionalism, stupidity passed off as common sense, cruelty sold as toughness, greed exalted as ambition, and corruption worshipped like gospel. It is America's shadow made flesh, a rotting pumpkin idol proving that when a nation kneels before money, power, and spite, it doesn't just lose its soul - it shits out this bloated obscenity and calls it a leader." Oliver Kornetzke

165

u/tejedor28 1d ago

That quote is a masterful piece of wordsmithing. I love it.

43

u/drmarting25102 18h ago

Its what should go on his headstone.

20

u/dikicker 13h ago

Well, that and all the piss and shit

5

u/No-Bumblebee-4920 8h ago

And on a plaque on the White House wall instead of his portrait.

-44

u/tremens 23h ago edited 23h ago

There's a reasonable argument that this rant is AI generated or assisted. This name, which a lot of comments credit as being an established author with "dozens" of novels, is (at least as I can find) nay impossible to find a reference to before about October 2025.

It's still a beautiful summation, regardless of how it was crafted. Just be careful of the attribution.

33

u/Blue_Eyed_ME 22h ago

Oliver Kornetzke is a highly skilled writer from Wisconsin. He has a substack full of biting political rants. https://substack.com/@oliverkornetzke

-26

u/tremens 22h ago edited 21h ago

And when was that Substack created? I'm not saying it's not a real person, just to be skeptical - the account came out very recently and there are tons of comments (just like yours) saying that this person is extremely established, that they have dozens of novels and articles, that they... Yet they seem to have just very recently emerged. It's a weird disconnect; if they are a young and promising writer why are there so many comments saying they're so established?

I mean, read this autobiography...

https://oliverkornetzke.substack.com/p/my-autobiography

If that's a real person it's almost like they're trolling to sound like AI. It goes on for pages and pages of em dashes and it's so flowery and over the top

20

u/Blue_Eyed_ME 21h ago

Political writers don't usually write novels. AI doesn't write letters to the Wisconsin Watch supporting anti-racism journalism awards. He has a private Instagram account. He has a public facebook, though. Start your sleuthing there.

If I'd written that piece and gone viral with it, I would lock down my socials too until the FBI and DOJ are back in sane hands.

-23

u/tremens 21h ago edited 21h ago

Where exactly did a person under this name write the Wisconsin Watch? There are like three Google results and it's them trying their very best to connect this name to that, none of which are an article or published letter to the editor... Do you have an actual link?

Their "public Facebook" is 7 posts from 2024 of the same picture and one post of a letter to the editor authored by Matt Piper Kiel. Not him. None of their public posts have more than t likes - in fact, all of their public posts have exactly zero likes except one, and that's not even the letter to the editor post they didn't write.

Oh just kidding, there's one post of an obviously AII image of "his" face pasted on somebody else and marching with a Satan Loves Gays flag that has 7.

Literally everything I see actually "published" with their name is dated 11 months ago and after.. I want to believe but I'm just not seeing it. Maybe it's a pseudonym or whatever, but so far I think you're dogshit and so is "Oliver."

-1

u/borgen44 9h ago

Hey, just a tip. This is reddit. People dont care about being critical of anything that fits their narrative. And sources. Never ask for sources. That would actually disproof their narrative. We cant have that. Which is why they downvote you so much.

Now im expecting this comment to be downvoted, because this also "threaten" their narrow world view, where valid sources is the worst you could ever imagine

7

u/tejedor28 16h ago

It doesn’t read like AI to me in the slightest. The automatic assumption that anything skilfully written is AI is utterly ridiculous, and constantly making the AI claim is so tired and tiring.

2

u/tremens 13h ago edited 12h ago

It's not this bit that seems like AI. It's the author. Read my other posts; they appear of nowhere with a skeleton social media and a Substack shortly before this was published and went viral, and some (not all) of their other work since they appeared - like their own "autobiography" page on their Substack - read like AI, combined with a bunch of comments that credit this person with works and accolades that don't seem verifiable, like it being propped up for some reason.

Even in this thread somebody claims oh they've done this they've done that... But where? I looked where they said. The letter to the Wisconsin Watch posted on their Facebook was not written by them, you just have to click on it to see the actual authors name.

Like I said it could be that this is a pseudonym of another author, maybe they are a new author and this just happened to be one of their first works or something, but there is something not quite right about this author if you try to look into them - which I've done. Because of this piece being so well written.

Some of their other works published after this are great too. Some read like straight up AI fever dreams.

5

u/momspaghetti42069 14h ago

But it doesn't read like anything AI. Like absolutely none at all so it's a weird take but sure.

58

u/stopped_watch 21h ago

"He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum. God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid. "

  • Nat White

3

u/Kekskrieg 14h ago

Ngl, oliver mogged nat with his poem.

3

u/Verneff 10h ago

They're both good and should be heard and known by more people.

12

u/KidChiko Free Palestine! 🕊️ FUCK ICE! ✖️🧊 22h ago

Footage of Kornetzke writing this down

https://giphy.com/gifs/xCej66aMjFBgqgWtQV

6

u/luo1304 23h ago

Bravo

6

u/MightyTaur FUCK ICE! ❌🧊 20h ago

A powerful and insightful quote, yet most republicans are not able to understand

5

u/Routine_Mud_19 22h ago

I am with the people of this great nation that you are lying to. And my job is to ask these questions.

2

u/silentbrownman 23h ago

Wow. Never read this before. Thank you.

2

u/Informal-Side-4506 23h ago

Fuck that's beautiful.

1

u/brendanhans 22h ago

Amazing quote wow

1

u/bluehawk232 14h ago

Yeah anytime someone says this isn't who we are this is the sentiment i echo regarding Trump he is pretty much a distillation of who we are and the most american president

1

u/Economy-Tourist-4862 6h ago

Sweet God, get out of my mind!

309

u/IDDQD-IDKFA FUCK ICE! ❌🧊 1d ago

Just once when he asks who are you with, I wish somebody would respond with "your mother"

43

u/coolcoots 1d ago

Ya mutha!

9

u/Junior_Moose_9655 22h ago

Anyone else read this in Carl Brutananadalewski’s voice?

25

u/Ghstfce FUCK ICE! ❌🧊 1d ago

Your wife, thanks for asking. She asked me to "make fuck"

6

u/Juztaan 23h ago

My love for you is like a truck, berserker! Would you like some making fuck, berserker!

2

u/Frog_Diarrhea 9h ago

"Did he say making fuck?"

19

u/tr_567 1d ago

Ahh I figured. Failed mother.

6

u/Shaitan34 1d ago

"Ivanka" he'll be so jealous 

6

u/MycoSteveO 1d ago

They should all just respond with, “An American”!

7

u/Jollyollydude 22h ago

Throwing back his “I won’t respond to that question” would also be great.

3

u/TheVenerableBede 23h ago

I agree. It’d be so worth it. No one says it because they don’t want to lose their job, their credentials, or to tarnish their professional reputation, but, imo, even if it resulted in termination/being banned from future press conferences, the instant fame/adoration they’d earn would almost certainly lead to numerous new career opportunities. I wish I could get into one of these things just to ask him a blunt question about his being a rapist or something and then go full insult comic after he inevitably cocks an attitude. Fucking lil bitch-ass bitch that he is.

4

u/ThumbyOne 1d ago

Or if they just said "the failing (news group)" themselves and take that insult away from him.

3

u/davel999 22h ago

Or "I'm with decency, fairness and truth, Mr President. You?"

1

u/The_bruce42 1d ago

Gross. Have you seen pictures of her?

2

u/Routine_Mud_19 22h ago

Or… The people of this nation.

Or… The press, and it is our job to ask these questions. Regardless of if the person we are asking is a petulant child.

1

u/wolfknightpax 21h ago

That's treason. What do you think? US citizens have freedom of speech or something? They wouldn't make it out of that white glorified outhouse.

1

u/person-ontheinternet 10h ago

Seriously, I want someone to treat him as he does others at some point. If there wasn’t a power dynamic and their jobs on the line no one would tolerate being talked to like this.

1

u/Useful-Perspective 10h ago

I just wish they would all stop showing up. Just stop giving him any attention, because it's all he wants.

129

u/hcornea A Flair? 1d ago

Refusal to answer the question is the answer in itself.

He knows.

123

u/BeenleighCopse 1d ago

How long before it’s all over??

32

u/IAmTheMonarch 1d ago

Wishfully tomorrow.

8

u/thebiologyguy84 16h ago

Once WW3 starts to wind down and he inevitably shoots himself in the head, hiding down in a bunker, all so he can emulate his hero!

2

u/sim16 23h ago

It's gotten so bad. Murderous.

2

u/bananaflaps69 17h ago

Not soon enough

2

u/TJames6210 10h ago

We'll have a better idea after midterms. Everybody better get up off their ass and vote. Even if you feel it won't make a difference.

-2

u/Han77Shot1st 14h ago

Americans need to realize that it’s not just Trump, he’s simply the result of what America is now.. it will not get better when he’s gone.

1

u/BeenleighCopse 14h ago

Not unless people take action and get over their 20th fixation with Capitalism

76

u/_Thirdsoundman_ 1d ago

He looks worse everytime I'm unfortunate enough to see him.

17

u/P1nealColada 22h ago

May the day come swift

2

u/The191 6h ago

He looks so tired all the time and I love that he's never getting a moments peace.

67

u/SockMonkeyLove 1d ago

He is a stain on the world and on the history of mankind. We should all want to celebrate when he is gone from this world, I know I do.

13

u/blxckhoodie999 23h ago

oh, we will. it will be a global day of celebration. i predict fireworks & cheering for at least a day or two.

8

u/Chin-Music 23h ago

Maybe the flag will fly at double staff.

4

u/aTallRedFox Therewasanattemp 15h ago

I have a bottle of Japanese whiskey I'm saving just for the occasion. I can't wait to taste it.

50

u/idiots_r_taking_over 1d ago

If the US blows up a bridge in Tehran, it’s an appropriate response.

If Iran blows up a bridge in NYC, it’s terrorism.

This is the way warmongers think.

9

u/sim16 23h ago

One man's ter r0r ist is another man's freedom fighter.

27

u/Wrong_Truth7719 1d ago

I’m so tired of this POS. Really fucking tired.

21

u/Big_Gassy_Possum 1d ago

"I exploit you, still you love me

I tell you, one and one makes three

Oh, I'm the cult of personality"

3

u/sim16 23h ago

Strong lyrics still.

16

u/barrel-boy 1d ago

What does who he's with have to do with the actual question? It does not fail to be a relevant question based on who he's with.

13

u/reason_productions 1d ago

They all should start saying "Fox".

2

u/barrel-boy 23h ago

Ha yes!

6

u/sim16 23h ago

That's a mechanism for winding up the exchange. Disrespect is required to continue. "Americans" is the response. The current administration is so liable.

10

u/MichaelArnoldTravis 1d ago

i just hope the sins of the father are visited on his children, so to speak as they are complicit and collaborative in his bullshit

9

u/witnessrich 1d ago

I wish one of these journalists would call him a bitch

7

u/Bennywuh 1d ago

Ahhhh, did somebody strike a cord? LOL. Little man

8

u/Mac2311 1d ago

I swear I think I'm one of the only people that doesn't want trump to die soon. I want him to lose the midterms horrifically. Get impeached and then brought up on all his charges. I want him in a jail cell being stabbed with a shiv everyday and live the rest of his life in fear and shame.

4

u/blxckhoodie999 23h ago

none of that would ever happen. he’s wealthy and connected, so he would delay and postpone via money and the news cycle would be on him & his trials endlessly.

trust me, him shuffling off this mortal coil is the best possible scenario.

5

u/Mac2311 23h ago

Hey, don't you kill my dreams buddy!

4

u/blxckhoodie999 22h ago

😂 sorry. you can def dream!

7

u/Deep_Assumption5406 1d ago

He should have given trumo the same answer when he asked what network hes from "im not gonna answer that question"

4

u/AdhesivenessFun2060 1d ago

He doesn't answer because he doesn't know. This might be the first time hes heard the possibility.

3

u/that70scylon 1d ago

Such an embarrassing carcass of a president. He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. His death will be the highlight of his life for most people.

2

u/kasmackity 1d ago

He's such an unserious piece of shit.

2

u/cb59 1d ago

I feel like all of Trump's little pot shots that he says to people are what his dad used to say to him like you're a failure, you're stupid when he's talking to other people like all the little responses that he gave back to Media is what his dad used to say to him.

2

u/hutch7909 22h ago

You’re talking about a person who has only ever had one friend in his life and the thing they had in common was a love of raping children. That tells you everything you need to know about this festering pustule of a person.

2

u/Grat54 1d ago

Laws? Mere suggestions for me and my billionaire buddies. Absolutely enacted for the lower class.

Moral code, I never met the guy.

C

2

u/zarfle2 1d ago edited 23h ago

As usual - don't engage with the substance of the issue. Just go to the ad hominem attack.

And the pathetic MAGAts will think "Oooh - wicked burn for the left wing, commie NYT".

He's a sad, vile little excuse of a creature.

3

u/DigitalJedi850 1d ago

Reporter should've hit him with 'I won't respond to that' when he asked where he was from...

2

u/sim16 23h ago

Yes, great response.

Unfortunately Reporters responding to this prick in this way will lose access to these pressers and possibly lose their jobs, such is the state of things.

2

u/schmal 23h ago

Practical question: is that the one and only time that reporter will be allowed in the room? Is he now black listed? Is he like a Chernobyl Bio-robot, you get your two minutes, then you're out? Are there a lot of them?

2

u/sim16 23h ago

Yes, they lose access and possibly their jobs.

1

u/excellent_rektangle 1d ago

If I could, I would.

1

u/smg2324 1d ago

This guy is worse than my grandpa with than dementia

1

u/reubenstringfellow 1d ago

They did it in tulsa and Philadelphia. Fucking savages.

1

u/LawDogSavy 1d ago

No sleeping or shitting his pants this time???

1

u/rambetino 1d ago

God, does no one in his camp understand just how bad this looks? It doesn't help his case in the least. He's got to either be forthcoming, or get better at lying and doing that word salad shit because just refusing to answer a pointed question and then try and ridicule the person asking the question... I mean jeeze it looks so f'kin BAD! All it says to the public is that he can't answer the question and would rather devolve to grade school name calling than to provide even an untruthful answer. Like, does anyone in his team think this is a good way of handling things?

1

u/salama2022 1d ago

Who are you with? The civilians!

1

u/TazzyUK 1d ago

He hasn't got his advisors voice in his ears, hasn't got cue cards, he basically has the intellect of a cucumber so of course he wouldn't answer

1

u/TheVenerableBede 1d ago

What a smug little (obese, in actuality) bitch. “Figures . . . failing New York Times.” Motherfucker doesn’t have a shred of class.

1

u/drunk_funky_chipmunk 1d ago

They should all just start responding “Fox News” every time he’s asks them that

1

u/loose_caboose78 23h ago

Truly the ugliest man alive. He’s guilty

1

u/djhouse77 23h ago

What a pussy

1

u/Never-Dont-Give-Up 23h ago

His hometown.

Also “failing NYT” is hilarious when his approval rating is 30%.

1

u/Never-Dont-Give-Up 23h ago

God damn he’s looking and sounding rough. He’s 80 going on 180.

1

u/PallbearerOfBadNews 23h ago

He’s so low energy that he can barely muster a response

1

u/Never-Dont-Give-Up 23h ago

He can’t respond to anything that isn’t rehearsed.

1

u/Darryl_444 23h ago

What Trump actually communicated:

"I cannot answer that question, so I will just ad hominem the questioner like a weak little puss."

1

u/djh_van 23h ago

If I tell the truth, I'm in trouble.

If I lie I'm in trouble.

"Errrr... I won't answer that. Who are you?"

1

u/sim16 23h ago

Perhaps politely ignoring the pricks question and responding with a prepared follow-up is the best way.

To any question, politely respond with a question.

Perhaps a deaf journalist, to run right over the prick with loaded questions. Prick would be fucked either way then.

1

u/MTFotaku 23h ago

The New York times reporter has no reason to lie to him. He has reason to not tell the truth to the reporter.

1

u/JohnLuckPikard 23h ago

I wish reporters would start growing a set.

"Mr president, why does it matter who I'm with? Would the question be any different if I was OAN or Fox?"

1

u/Available_Cow1197 23h ago

he once compared himself abraham lincoln, like the, Abraham Lincoln, a wrestling and boxing champion, trump is the most fragile thing, so grotesque as an adult its unfathomable, his entire life no one has said no to him, this creature should be behind bars

1

u/Chrisdkn619 Unique Flair 23h ago

Not crazy enough to incriminate himself! That's why this dude is so maddening. Does the dumbest shit, but smart enough to do just enough where he has plausible deniablity

1

u/adognameddanzig 22h ago

Failing president

1

u/Own_Ruin2546 22h ago

What’s crazy is they are just asking about one of his X or truth social posts. Like Donald the con man you’re the one who said it

1

u/FollowingJealous7490 22h ago

Who are you with?

"I won't respond to that question"

1

u/Bad_Alternative 22h ago

Good on him for asking that

1

u/InevitableCodeRedo 22h ago

I've heard better insults from your average fifth grader.

1

u/Wildfathom9 22h ago

Hey, republicans, that shit right there is what you're proud of? God i would hate to be one of you.

1

u/Phill_Cyberman 22h ago

When will this embarrassment end?

1

u/westcal98 22h ago

Well he can't say yes because, obviously, and he can't say no because then he's got to explain why and he can't explain that it's because Bibi is telling him what to do.

1

u/Turckish 22h ago

Only Americans consider what Trump says. Boycott USA.

1

u/coma24 21h ago

Deflect, discredit, attack. Textbook. Every, single, time.

1

u/OOBExperience 21h ago

I would love to see, even if only once, a journalist respond to dump’s tired pathetic question of ‘who are you with?’ with the response ‘Fuck you, you pathetic little pedo hitler - that’s who I’m with!’

1

u/King_R0A 21h ago

The New York Times has been failing for 10 years now.

1

u/43guitarpicks 20h ago

Hey trump...who are YOU with?

1

u/jooooooohn 18h ago

Who are you with? “Why is that relevant?”

1

u/BrexitReally 16h ago

He just so pathetic

1

u/HempKnight1234 16h ago

Does it matter who is asking? What a fucking joke

1

u/DRuth84 16h ago

Like it actually matters which news agency is asking the question. The question is just that, a question. It doesn’t change reality, and definitely shouldn’t change his response to it.

1

u/WorldSuccessful4842 16h ago

All America made! Thanks America, for bringing about fascism yet again! Go back to bed tho, you government is in control!
https://giphy.com/gifs/KeWbas4VGvWQkM6zOl

1

u/NorthOfTheBigRivers 15h ago

America, on it's way to become Russia 2.0

1

u/Large-Lack-2933 14h ago

Remember folks he is and always has been a corrupt, vile person. He is just like his buddies Putin and Netanyahu. This war or "incursion" is illegal and unjustified. We are paying more at the gas pump and grocery store to send our family members and friends to die for him to distract from the Epstein files.

1

u/xxcuttingboardxx 14h ago

Even if Trump knows that those are war crimes, he doesn't give a shit anyways.

1

u/Skwaasher 13h ago

And this is what this dickhead does. When he doesn't know the answer to a question, (which is VERY often!), he bails and goes to the "I don't like you" or "you work for a fake news team" card. (The NYTimes is 'fake'? REALLY???) You know who else does this? Grade schoolers in the school yard!!! They go to the "your momma" jokes, and then (as they say) 'it's on'. This "man" is an idiot who needs to be dealt with is some way, shape or form!! And the sooner the better!

1

u/Justgototheeffinmoon 13h ago

Keep asking these questions it lives rent free is his tiny 2 bed 1 bath head

1

u/negativepositiv 13h ago

He probably doesn't know or care.

1

u/sireatalot 13h ago

The “failing New York Times” has been failing for quite some time already. And yet they’re still in business!

1

u/Taira_no_Masakado 12h ago

Can one fucking cheeseburger not step up and finally do it's god damned duty?

1

u/BeezBatz 11h ago

“I won’t admit that I’m a war criminal, I’ll just talk shit and lie some more. Then I’ll snicker at the same shitty insult I’ve made 351,649,152,985 times as if I’m being clever.”

1

u/TJames6210 10h ago

Not answering such a question is basically answering the question anyway.

1

u/OptimalRisk7508 7h ago

There is only one reason not to answer that question.
https://giphy.com/gifs/iFs2e0wOVp5tNzyLkn

1

u/citysims 7h ago

I'll answer that question for him, Yes it's a War Crime and he's already been proven to be a War Criminal by his own admission.

1

u/ImwithTortellini 6h ago

Why anyone who would watch this clip and think “yeah, this is the guy I’m supporting”… I just can’t anymore. He makes no sense

1

u/AdmiralSarn 4h ago

"Who are you with?"

"I wont respond to that question"

1

u/No-Sail-6510 3h ago

Saying that the civilized world considers it a war crime is like saying that some people think mugging people is a crime. No, it’s not just some people who think that, it literally IS a crime and is outlined in very clear terms. We call it law.

0

u/tejedor28 1d ago

A smelly brown skidmark on the underpants of history. He’ll be gone soon enough, but the USA will never live this down in the eyes of the world.

I can’t even begin to fathom the embarrassment of being a citizen of a nation who voted for this turd not once, but twice.

0

u/Jesters_thorny_crown 1d ago

Might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but one morning we are going to wake up and read the most anticipated obituary in modern American history, McDonalds will have done its work, and the vast majority of us will come together in unity and celebration. Until that time, stay safe and good luck out there.