The tale of Trump's food cart escape in Ankara explains why he is losing in Iran | Trudy Rubin

Donald Trump’s alleged escape from Ankara last month—mocked online as a covert hop using an airport catering truck—has become a serious metaphor in an essay by Trudy Rubin. The piece argues that the jokes obscure a bigger point: the U.S. has not prepared for the asymmetrical way conflicts are increasingly fought by Iran and others. Rubin notes that, despite Air Force One’s missile-defense systems, Trump still reportedly needed to switch aircraft after Israeli intelligence warned of a possible Iranian shoulder-fired missile attack. The author draws parallels to conflicts where weaker forces used unconventional tactics to negate stronger militaries, and questions whether Trump’s approach to Iran reflects modern warfare.