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Canadian Author and Analyst Tells Ahli al-Beit News Agency:
The Emperor Has No Clothes
November 3, 2026
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Eric Walberg: The fact that Trump has lived a long life characterized by a dissolute lifestyle—never once ending up in prison, and even managing to ascend to the U.S. presidency twice—has led him to believe he is invincible.
According to the AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA), critics argue that the exaggerated economic promises and the unrealistic vision of improved livelihoods presented during the U.S. election race are nothing more than empty, deceptive slogans designed to capture voters' attention. Rather than offering structured policy programs, this style of campaigning relies on unrealistic pledges, serving to bridge the gap between economic reality and electoral illusion.
Eric Walberg, a Canadian journalist and author of four books on geopolitics and Islam, spoke to ABNA regarding the U.S. President’s pledge to pay $5,000 to every American—contingent upon a victory in the congressional midterm elections. Walberg remarked that Trump does not behave like a president; rather, he acts like a king or a Roman emperor. He makes such extravagant and reckless pronouncements without any consultation, all while remaining surrounded by sycophants and flatterers. His mindset is childish—as if he were playing "emperor" with his friends in a schoolyard.
It is reminiscent of the tale of "the emperor who has no clothes."
He continued: "His logic is likely that if he conquers Iran, he can seize its oil and then, with great 'generosity,' bestow wealth and bounty upon his American subjects. Like a child, he hears only what he wants to hear. The fact that he has lived a long life of unbridled excess—never once seeing the inside of a prison, and even managing to become President of the United States twice—has led him to believe he is invincible."
Referring to remarks by Tom Barrack—a U.S. envoy regarding Turkey—about Trump’s confusion concerning the Iran dossier, the Canadian author noted that while Barrack warned of a potential attack on November 1st, Trump claimed to be unaware of it. It is clear that Barrack does not support such an attack; he maintains that the U.S. objective was not regime change, but rather the reduction of regional threats and the prevention of nuclear proliferation. He emphasizes that Trump remains open to reaching a diplomatic agreement.
Wahlberg added: "Meanwhile, Senator Chris Murphy—a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Appropriations Committees—has described Trump’s proposal to reignite war against Iran as 'insane.' Half of the active-duty soldiers oppose this war and the genocide it entails. It is truly like the story of 'the emperor who has no clothes'—yet everyone is too afraid to tell him the truth." America’s Fear of Confronting a Peer Competitor
He stated that the U.S. military—in a move that serves as an overt protest—has conducted large-scale exercises involving the burial of battlefield casualties, complete with military chaplains. This is the first time such drills have taken place since the Korean War. The objective is to prepare for the temporary, mass burial of bodies during intense conflict with a "peer competitor." According to military estimates, an engineering company equipped with eight bulldozers and four military excavators could dig and fill temporary graves for up to 2,400 soldiers within 24 hours. Will the American people rise up and compel Trump to put an end to this madness?
Addressing a question regarding statements from certain U.S. officials—who suggest that regional allies are preparing for the possibility of being left to face Iran on their own—and whether this effectively signals the formal end of American regional hegemony, he remarked: "Trump is once again playing the role of a high school bully, warning younger, smaller boys about their 'real' enemy. Trump buys into the very same media-propagated lies that have been fed to the American public for 43 years—tales about the threat posed by Iran’s religious society, the ban on alcohol, and the mistreatment of women. It is exactly like the bully saying: 'If Iran turns into a bully itself and drops an atomic bomb on your heads, don’t come running to me with your complaints.'"
Iran Is a Guarantor of Stability
Walberg continued: "The truth is that Iran is a guarantor of stability. There is no need for the United States to station tens of thousands of troops in the region—a presence that only serves to corrupt the local Muslim population. The prohibition of alcohol, adherence to Islamic traditions regarding the family, and the protection of women—these are precisely what the Persian Gulf states and the entire Islamic *Ummah* need. Iran has never attacked anyone. It is the presence of the United States and Israel in our midst that has caused instability. Therefore, if that 'bully' imagines that his puppets will come running back to him before it is too late, he is sorely mistaken; he has failed to grasp that the tide has turned."
Regarding Barack Obama’s remarks concerning Iran’s capacity to exercise a *de facto* veto over the Strait of Hormuz—an implicit acknowledgment that the U.S. has lost operational initiative on the ground (a deficiency now masked solely by financial and propaganda-based measures)—Wahlberg noted: "Obama rejected Trump’s claim that the U.S. controls the Strait of Hormuz, arguing instead that the ongoing conflict with Iran has strengthened Tehran’s leverage over this strategic waterway—a reality the U.S. is powerless to alter. He lamented the rise in global oil and commodity prices resulting from the conflict, adding that the situation—compounded by the depletion of missile stockpiles and attacks on American bases—has left the United States increasingly vulnerable." This American writer emphasized that Obama—contrasting the current situation involving Trump and Netanyahu with his administration’s 2015 nuclear deal (the JCPOA)—defended the agreement as a diplomatic success that prevented the proliferation of nuclear weapons without firing a single missile. It was a powerful statement; the former president calmly assessed the current state of affairs, devoid of the incoherent language or foolish fantasies characteristic of Trump.
He continued: It is noteworthy that Clinton has fallen silent, yet his past association with Epstein continues to haunt him. Interestingly, the "Epstein circle" appears to be entirely devoid of people of color. Despite his criminal use of drones for targeted assassinations, Obama remains America’s "Teflon president." While he displayed wisdom in some instances, he was woefully foolish in others—for example, at the 2010 White House Correspondents' Dinner, he joked about using "Predator" drones against the Jonas Brothers. Today, the United States and Israel routinely engage in acts of terrorism, targeting Iranian scientists as well as Ayatollah Khamenei and his family.
Wahlberg added: Recently, riots in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta were incited by social media rumors—a tactic for which Israel is well known. Furthermore, a train accident in Spain resulted in 150 deaths; the train’s software had been supplied by Israel Aerospace Industries. A few months earlier, Netanyahu had warned that Spain would soon pay a price for boycotting Israel and blocking ships carrying arms destined for the country. The United States and Israel also carried out acts of sabotage in Iran earlier this year.
The United States: A Treaty-Breaker; Israeli Parties: Proponents of Genocide
He emphasized that the United States is a global actor that breaks its treaties—a reality made evident when Obama contrasted his own mediation efforts against Trump’s betrayals. It is as if Obama—the "real" president—is acknowledging defeat on behalf of that senile, deranged madman who holds power in name only. It now falls to Iran to patiently await the ultimate outcome of this historic American failure, while remaining fully vigilant and on guard against dirty tricks.
In his concluding remarks regarding the Israeli election results, the future of Netanyahu, and the prospects for forming a coalition government, this Canadian author stated: "Both major parties in Israel are pro-genocide. The significant presence of Arabs holds the key to the balance of power. If Eisenkot is brave enough to include them in the power structure, there might be some hope for the Palestinians; however, such a move would run counter to all the principles and foundations of Zionism."
He added: "I do not believe Trump is in a position to intervene in Israeli affairs. Having failed in his dealings with Iran—and now facing imminent defeat within the United States—he has lost the standing and credibility he once held there." .
