While not forgetting to continue lambasting his immediate predecessor for what he did regarding Afghanistan, the sitting US president has actually followed in his predecessor's footprints by choosing to boost the United States' military presence there.

This, as he conceded, goes against his original instinct to pull out. And his vow on the campaign trail, when he said the US' presence in Afghanistan was sheer "nonsense".

Yet Donald Trump eating his own words may not be that bad in this instance. That the US president has opted to defy his own instincts and embrace a move he would have vehemently refused to make earlier in his presidency is a precious bow to reason. This, along with the recent ousting of Steve Bannon, whose controversial orientations sowed too much tension on too many fronts, gives the impression that Trump is learning the ropes. At least he is coming to terms with the cruel reality in Afghanistan that Obama was concerned about, and the dire consequences of "a hasty withdrawal".