It's not the document itself that's so unusual. In fact, remove Trump's name and a few of his pet phrases, which the authors litter throughout the text, and it might be taken as a statement by any number of administrations. What sparks the confusion is the fact that so much of the text is so different from Trump's own words and actions. And this confusion is intensified by the fact that, unlike any of his predecessors, Trump chose to give a nationally televised speech about the strategy. As a result, the document can't be dismissed as a bureaucratic product—the president is associating himself with it explicitly. Because of that, the contradictions are all the more glaring—and the mixed messages are more maddening.
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