Justified Strikes And Pre-emptive Strikes: The Trump Administration in Action
OP-ED by Jeff Davidson
When President Trump disarmed Iran’s nuclear capability the Left became apoplectic, resorting to their usual fits and starts over what is undoubtedly an American and free world triumph. Likewise, as the Trump Administration blows Venezuelan drug boats out of the water, and is preparing to neuter the Venezuelan narco state, the Left can barely contain itself. Never mind that 200,000+ Americans have died from narco trafficker’s synthetic opioids, much of it emanating from Venezuela.
Columbia also has been problematic as their current leader does nothing to stop drug traffic, and likewise Trump will take no guff from that nation.
Feigning Ignorance, Perpertually
The Left, ever-ignorant or feigning ignorance of history, unless it supports them in some way, has conveniently overlooked that 222 years ago our third president, Thomas Jefferson, made a strike on the Barbary Pirates to stop them from their pervasive high-seas extortion, ransoms, and blackmail.
In 1961 as well, John F. Kennedy’s Bay of Pigs invasion was a covert operation …gone horribly wrong.
More recent presidents, including George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, Barack Obama, and ‘Joe Biden’ made calculated strikes, without Congressional approval, to protect our shores, citizens, and sovereignty. Nevertheless, unbeknownst to the Left, for many years leading up to 9/11, the U.S. only rarely took any action against invaders and terrorists.
Hardly Striking Back Against Terrorists
Including American citizens, facilities, or interests, between 1983 and 1998, the U.S. endured a staggering 2400 attacks, and in a brilliant 2001 Foreign Policy article, author Fernando Reinares explained that the U.S. rarely struck back.
Despite the onslaught, the U.S. military responded only three times. First, in 1986 the Department of Defense went into high gear when Libya bombed a West German nightclub that enjoyed a regular clientele of Americans and pro-American individuals.
Second, the U.S. took action by sending troops to Kuwait in 1993 to quell Iraqi aggression following Iraq’s attempt to assassinate President George H.W. Bush. Third, in 1998 the U.S. responded when Osama bin Laden’s compatriots bombed our embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.
So Many Attacks, So Few Responses
Why so few responses to such provocation? Disturbingly, the U.S. had a de facto policy of responding only when the bad guys could easily be identified and had already committed grievous acts of terrorism against us, and when American citizens were specifically targeted.
As restrictive as this policy was, in 61 other instances all three criteria were at play but none led to U.S. retaliation. Such non-responsiveness incalculably emboldened our adversaries.
Dateline 2025: The Trump Administration has the smarts, the will, and the capability to identify threats, devise action plans, and execute them with precision.
He Who Hesitates
Hesitation is often extremely costly. Suppose Donald Trump had not taken out Iran’s nuclear facilities. Do you care to dance with the devil? Who knows what Iran would be capable of and what targets they would select? Iran already has amply demonstrated the willingness to wreak havoc on the U.S. anywhere around the world.
How many Venezuelan narco-traffic boats should the U.S. tolerate? The regime of Nicholas Maduro deliberately seeks to poison Americans and without any retaliation had become increasingly bold.
The Trump Administration is taking action to halt the danger both at home and abroad to Americans. Donald Trump knows that incurring the wrath of the Left now, rather than waiting and enduring far more destruction is prudent. Later, amidst any possible massive devastation, the pitiful Left, currently railing about Whitehouse renovations, would gin up even greater wrath.
Hostility on the Home Front
The Trump Administration’s action via I.C.E. and the National Guard in hostile sanctuary cities is merited. Are we supposed to endlessly endure having our nation flooded with illegals who contribute little or nothing, and whose predisposition for criminal acts has been well documented?
Are we supposed to tolerate I.C.E.-free zones? Trump is taking the battle to them now and demonstrating to other deep blue cities and to paid protesters, agitators, and domestic terrorists that this crap ends now.
Donald Trump is our president, not Kamala Harris, not Joe Biden, not Hillary Clinton, and not any of the communist or socialist Democrats who’d never take step one against our enemies, foreign or domestic. We are fortunate in ways that so many on the Left will never understand or appreciate. And those on the Left who do understand will never acknowledge or admit their perpetual disdain for everything that our President accomplishes.