Ahmed Charai
What sets Trump apart is his willingness to take big risks in pursuit of big wins.
President Donald J. Trump’s most consistently repeated geopolitical promise was to end the Russia-Ukraine war. While this goal is popular among American voters, peace alone will not satisfy them. The real question is: How does that peace make Americans feel about themselves? Trump’s legacy hangs on the answer.
This is a high-wire act that could lead to either a traumatic fall or a crowd-pleasing triumph. It could resemble Richard Nixon’s withdrawal from Vietnam or Joe Biden’s pullout from Afghanistan—a stinging defeat that diminishes America while emboldening its foes. In both cases, Americans felt worse about themselves, even though the fighting had stopped.
Now consider Ronald Reagan’s disengagement from Nicaragua or George H.W. Bush’s departure from Iraq in 1991—both ended conflicts while leaving local leaders in charge, claiming they would seek peace and prosperity. The first two outcomes tarnished promising presidential legacies, while the latter two became mildly positive historical footnotes.
How does Trump avoid a Nixon-Biden verdict and secure a Reagan-Bush judgment?
That depends on Trump and his three musketeers: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Like the chevaliers of old, they carry out the king’s will and require both courage and cunning.
No comments:
Post a Comment