DONALD TRUMP NEVER TOOK WINSTON CHURCHILL'S ADVICE TO STUDY

HISTORY. FOR HIM THE EARTH WAS CREATED IN

QUITE RECENT MEMORY. EVERYTHING IS WITHOUT PRECEDENT.

NOTHING EVER HAPPENED BEFORE, AND EVERYTHING NOW IS AS HE PUT

IS SO FINELY THIS AFTERNOON, A MESS.

LET'S START WITH THE MESS PART, WHICH IS EASIEST TO EXPLAIN

BECAUSE IF YOU ACCEPT HIS STATEMENT THAT ALL IS LOST, THEN

ANYTHING THAT'S NOT A MESS A FEW MONTHS FROM NOW GOES TO HIS

CREDIT. HE WILL BE THE ONE WHO ROSE US

UP FROM THE MESS. IT'S HIS IGNORANCE OF THE PAST,

OF HISTORY THAT I PREDICT IS GOING TO CONFOUND US.

DIDN'T HE TAKE ANY HUMANITIES COURSES AT PENN?

DIDN'T HE READ ANYTHING AT ALL IN HIS 70 YEARS?

DIDN'T HE GIVE ANY THOUGHT TO ANYTHING BUT REAL ESTATE?

TRUMP SEEMS TO BE THINKING ABOUT THE MIDDLE EAST, RUSSIA, ANYWAY

TOTE, THE WHOLE GLOBE WE LIVE ON FOR THE FIRST TIME.

DOES HE KNOW WE HAVE TO WEAR TWO HATS IN THE MIDDLE EAST?

ONE IS AN ALLY OF ISRAEL, ONE IS AN HONEST BROKER.

DOES HE KNOW WE HAVE TO AVOID AT ALL COST A MILITARY

CONFRONTATION WITH RUSSIA. DOES HE KNOW HOW TRICKY IT IT IO

KEEP KIM JONG-UN FROM FIRING OFF A MISSILE.

DOES HE HAVE A SENSE TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE TERRITORY NOW?

DOES HE KNOW THE HAZARDS THAT HAVE SCARED ALL THE MEN BEFORE

HIM? MAYBE WE'LL STRIKE IT JUST RIGHT

LIKE THE PROVERBIAL MONKEY GIVEN ENOUGH TIME ON THE KEYBOARD WILL

TYPE "MERRY CHRISTMAS." BUT SHOULD WE DREAD THE THOUGHT

OF HOW MANY OTHER COMBINATIONS HE'S CAPABLE OF IN THE MEANTIME.

LATE TODAY IN HIS PRESS CONFERENCE, I THOUGHT FOR A FEW

MINUTE THAT WHEN TRUMP WAS TALKING ABOUT GIVING OUR

RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA TIME, WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT REALLY

GETTING TO KNOW CHINA'S PRESIDENT XI, WHEN HE CALLED

BASHAR AL ASSAD A BUTCHER, I THOUGHT I HEARD SOMEONE SAY,

MERRY CHRISTMAS. AND THAT'S "HARDBALL" FOR NOW.