‘Chickening out right?’: Adam Kinzinger hits Donald Trump where it hurts as his latest promise quietly crawls into the void

Donald Trump is back on his favorite broken-record setting: another “two-week” deadline, this time to decide whether the U.S. should intervene in the spiraling conflict between Israel and Iran.

But as he rolls out a fresh ultimatum for international drama, we recall critics like Adam Kinzinger‘s June 11 X post, wen the former GOP congressman reminded everyone that Trump blew past his last 14-day promise without lifting a finger.

Along with a video, Kinzinger jabbed, “Hey Donald it’s been two weeks…. Since you said you’d do something in two weeks to force Russia to the table. You aren’t… you’re not… chickening out right? Nah.”

A recycled Trump playbook

Kinzinger’s message hit a nerve. Because, of course, Trump had promised exactly that: to somehow “force Russia to the negotiating table” within two weeks. That deadline has now quietly come and gone—no action, no follow-up, just another grandiose promise fading into the void.

Now, Trump is recycling the same playbook. His team announced on June 19 that he’ll decide “within two weeks” whether the U.S. will take direct military action against Iran following its escalating retaliation against Israel.

Trump’s press surrogate Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the former president wants to “give diplomacy a chance,” but if Iran doesn’t back off, he’ll be prepared to take stronger action—maybe. Probably. He’ll get back to us.

The TACO POTUS strikes again

This déjà vu has been so consistent it’s earned a nickname: TACO, short for “Trump Always Chickens Out.” Whether it’s dealing with Putin, imposing tariffs on China, or now deliberating over war with Iran, the pattern is always the same. Trump lays out a dramatic ultimatum, usually with a conveniently round two-week timeframe. The media eats it up. Then, nothing happens. Later, he either claims the problem resolved itself or insists “the time wasn’t right.” Rinse and repeat.

Back in May, Trump had declared at a rally that he would force Russia to the negotiating table “within two weeks” of taking office—a claim that was both vague and logistically impossible. Kinzinger’s June 11 post isn’t just snark—it’s a cold reminder of Trump’s empty bluster.

And as the former president tees up yet another high-stakes promise about possible U.S. involvement in the Middle East, it’s hard to believe this version will play out any differently.

Iran has already rejected Washington’s backchannel outreach, according to multiple outlets, and continues to threaten U.S. bases in the region. Yet Trump’s people insist the “next two weeks” could be decisive. Whether this is an actual policy strategy or just another bit of campaign-stage drama remains to be seen—but if history is any guide, we’re more likely to see a press release than a missile strike.

As Trump juggles crises both real and rhetorical, critics like Kinzinger are positioning themselves as the accountability chorus. And with every passing deadline that fizzles into nothing, the “TACO” label sticks a little more. Kinzinger may have asked sarcastically whether Trump was chickening out—but let’s be honest: did anyone expect him not to?