Donald Trump, who famously likes to cite Winston Churchill but is unfit to carry Churchill’s bowler hat, should’ve heeded some of the greatest parliamentarian’s words.

Churchill said that a politician can be killed “many times” by making rash predictions and by setting deadlines that are thereafter broken. “There is no worse mistake in public leadership than to hold out false hopes soon to be swept away,” the longtime British prime minister said. “It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time.”

KINSELLA: Donald Trump's empty threats just more political 'madness' Back to video

Doing otherwise is “criminal madness,” he reportedly said.

Which brings us to Trump’s use of social media to communicate threats and deadlines. It’s not “criminal,” per se, but “madness” is a pretty good way to describe it.

Nothing has been as deadly to Trump’s political fortunes — not the use of the F-word online, not the price of eggs, not the genocidal threat to wipe out the entire Iranian civilization — as the U.S. president’s repeated announcements of final, irrevocable deadlines, which he does not ever meet.

Deadlines come, deadlines go

Consider this list, which is only partial:

First deadline: Trump sets a 48-hour........

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