"Trump ... has adopted a modified version of Theodore Roosevelt’s maxim when it comes to overseas military threats — speak loudly and carry a small stick. Or carry a big stick but wave it around without actually using it much.

"He talks like a bellicose warmonger but acts like an isolationist peacenik."

And earlier in the article:

"“In some ways, President Trump is on a collision course with himself,” said Robert Malley, the president of the International Crisis Group and a former Iran adviser to Mr. Obama. “He says he’s in favor of maximum pressure and he’s against military confrontation when it comes to Iran but both of those things can’t be true because one of those things can lead to the other.”"

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/0...r_axiosam&stream=top