Time and time again it’s been demonstrated that the only certainties in life are death, taxes, and the fact that for every Donald Trump action, there exists a Donald Trump tweet from months or even years before in which he accused someone he doesn’t like of doing the very same thing.
The latest example? After news broke that North Korea has nuclear warheads small enough to fit on intercontinental ballistic missiles, Trump responded by threatening fiery retribution.
“North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States,” Trump said from the clubhouse of his Bedminster, New Jersey golf course, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times. “They will be met with the fire and the fury like the world has never seen.”
There’s a tweet for this exact scenario. Back in 2013, Trump had a premonition of future war. Since he sent it at 2:46 a.m., one assumes he bolted up in bed, covered in a sheen of cold sweat, to tweet this warning:
Be prepared, there is a small chance that our horrendous leadership could unknowingly lead us into World War III.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2013
The last to opportunity to compare a past Trump tweet to a future Trump action came at the end of July, with the news that White House Communications Director Anthony “The Mooch” Scaramucci had been fired just 10 days after he took the job. The firing came as a particular surprise because he had been given what appeared to be huge leeway by Trump. So much leeway that after The Mooch was humiliated after he held a bizarre, on-the-record conversation New Yorker reporter in which he insulted several Trump officials and accused his hated rival, Trump Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, of conspiring against him, Preibus was the one who ended up fired.
But three days later, Scaramucci was out of a job too, reportedly because Priebus’ replacement, John Kelly, wanted him gone. Oops. Anyway, here’s something Trump tweeted about Ted Cruz during the GOP Primary race in 2016:
Wow was Ted Cruz disloyal to his very capable director of communication. He used him as a scape goat-fired like a dog! Ted panicked.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 23, 2016
And while we’re on the subject of Reince Priebus, who was fired just 6 months into Donald Trump’s presidency, here’s what Trump had to say about Barack Obama in 2012:
3 Chief of Staffs in less than 3 years of being President: Part of the reason why @BarackObama can't manage to pass his agenda.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2012
Of course these are just the latest examples. Who could forget back in the long ago days of May 17, when Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed a special counsel to investigate possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election that, yes, includes possible collusion between Russia and the Donald Trump campaign, when this tweet resurfaced.
If I win-I am going to instruct my AG to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation bc there's never been anything like your lies.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2016
Or on May 15 when it was revealed that Trump revealed classified intelligence on ISIS during a visit from the Russian ambassador.
The real story that Congress, the FBI and all others should be looking into is the leaking of Classified information. Must find leaker now!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 20, 2017
find the leakers within the FBI itself. Classified information is being given to media that could have a devastating effect on U.S. FIND NOW
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2017
It is terrible that @BarackObama did not appoint an independent counsel to investigate the national security leaks. No accountability.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2012
Leaking, and even illegal classified leaking, has been a big problem in Washington for years. Failing @nytimes (and others) must apologize!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 16, 2017
Snowden is handing over to Russia a treasure trove of intel. Our politicians are incapable of dealing!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2013
And to cap this one off, here’s a pair of bonus tweets from Paul Ryan and Sean Spicer.
It's simple: Individuals who are ‘extremely careless’ w/ classified info should be denied further access to it. https://t.co/XWuvfDugly
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) July 7, 2016
how can @HillaryClinton "keep America's safety at heart" of her campaign when she violated rules at State Dept to protect classified info?
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) June 2, 2016
Let’s also not forget that time during the 2016 presidential campaign when Trump turned his sights on Hillary Clinton, and especially railed against her use of a private email server — which FBI investigators thought could have inadvertently compromised classified information.
Crooked Hillary Clinton and her team "were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information." Not fit!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 6, 2016
Yes, Trump’s old #madonline tweets make it seem like he traveled back in time to complain about himself. There are so many examples, like this one about the Electoral College. For context, this particular tweet was part of a tweet storm in which Trump was outraged because he apparently believed that Barack Obama had lost the Electoral College vote to 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney.
The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2012
Reminder: Trump lost the popular vote against Hillary Clinton by almost 3 million votes. He is president thanks to the Electoral College.
Lets fight like hell and stop this great and disgusting injustice! The world is laughing at us.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2012
We can't let this happen. We should march on Washington and stop this travesty. Our nation is totally divided!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2012
Our country is now in serious and unprecedented trouble…like never before.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2012
Reminder: The Women’s March following Trump’s inauguration, to protest his presidency, may well have been the largest protest in the history of the U.S.
Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017
Trump’s position on Russia has been soft since before he took the presidency, and it’s well-documented that he’s never had a mean word to say about President Vladimir Putin. Like when he talked to Bill O’Reilly.
Why is @BarackObama constantly issuing executive orders that are major power grabs of authority? This is the latest
http://t.co/4IVBckTE— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2012
Reminder: the first three weeks of Trump’s presidency were marked by a flurry of executive orders.
President Obama refuses to answer question about Iran terror funding. I won't dodge questions as your President. https://t.co/jsAMGO3s4P
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2016
Reminder: Trump often only takes press questions from friendly conservative media.
An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 6, 2012
Reminder: Trump complains often about “fake news” and unnamed sources. He often does it in tweets. Like this one:
Remember, don't believe "sources said" by the VERY dishonest media. If they don't name the sources, the sources don't exist.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016
Trump also had a lot to say about how much golf Obama was playing when he was president:
Obama should play golf with Republicans & opponents rather than his small group of friends. That way maybe the terrible gridlock would end.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 19, 2012
While our wonderful president was out playing golf all day, the TSA is falling apart, just like our government! Airports a total disaster!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 21, 2016
Can you believe that,with all of the problems and difficulties facing the U.S., President Obama spent the day playing golf.Worse than Carter
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2014
Reminder: Trump has spent the majority of weekends of his presidency at Mar-a-Lago, a golf resort. He even took Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe golfing there while he visited the U.S.
The Obama's Spain vacation cost taxpayers over $476K http://t.co/W6kIpd5x They love to spend money.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2012
Reminder: Three weekends in a row at Mar-a-Lago might have cost taxpayers as much as $10 million, according to a Chicago Tribune report.
Obama is a disaster at foreign policy. Never had the experience or knowledge. He is not capable of doing the job.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 12, 2012
Reminder: Trump reportedly created a rift with Australia, and with China. And he’s creating rifts with other U.S. allies with his friendly treatment of Russia, among other foreign policy issues.
There are also plenty of Trump tweets about how he thinks Obama was a terrible president and should resign.
If Obama resigns from office NOW, thereby doing a great service to the country—I will give him free lifetime golf at any one of my courses!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2014
President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2016
Obama is, without question, the WORST EVER president. I predict he will now do something really bad and totally stupid to show manhood!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2014
There are probably about 65 million people who could apply these ones to Trump.
These aren’t the only statements Trump has made that don’t paint him in the best light. Check out our gallery below for more choice Trump statements.