The Republican party under Donald Trump is about as unified as it has ever been during my lifetime. That is, at least when it comes to domestic issues. Border security, check. Mass deportations, check. Tax cuts, abolish DEI, cut wasteful spending, kick men out of women’s sports…check. The untethered glory of the MAGA agenda is on full display with millions of Trump voters routinely exclaiming, “This is what I voted for!” International affairs, on the other hand, have a noticeable percentage of MAGA sounding like whiny Democrats.
With Ukraine, Trump has been Trump, setting expectations for the conflict to end and being stern with both sides when needed. With no more US taxpayer money being sent to Kiev’s laundromat, our war-weary population seems content to just let the two sides figure it out on their own time. Simply cutting off the money was a big win for Trump and his America First coalition.
When it comes to Israel, however, there is massive division among Trump supporters who agree on 90% of all other issues. This bifurcation is as regrettable as it is unnecessary. Some harsh words have been exchanged by both sides which may be tough to forget even after this particular Israel-Iran chapter is no longer front page news. Accusations of everything from antisemitism to warmongering have flown in recent weeks, and it is well past time to stop this distractive and unproductive infighting.
Fine People on Both Sides
The topic of Israel has become quite combustible and as far as I can tell, both sides want what is best for America. After all, we are talking about a disagreement among the conservative right in this country, not leftists who want to see America fall. We’re all patriots, we just don’t always agree what that means. On one side, you have the likes of Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, Steve Bannon, Dave Smith, and Candace Owens. They are dead set on non-intervention. They argue this is not our war and we do not wish to be caught up in it. Getting involved in any way will undoubtedly lead to WW3 and such policy would not constitute real MAGA doctrine. Trump won both elections in part by promising peace through strength and not getting the US entangled in any foreign wars, something he did quite successfully in his first term.
On the other side, those in favor of the US supporting Israel in a military effort against Iran include prominent conservatives such as Mark Levin, Ted Cruz, Sean Hannity, Ben Shapiro, and Mike Johnson. They believe that it is in America’s interest to assist Israel in assuring the world that Iran does not and will not possess the ability to make nuclear weapons. Most of these voices are not calling for an all out war, but they do believe that America should help Israel finally neuter Iran’s nuclear capabilities once and for all. Once their nuke ambitions are destroyed, they can chant “Death to America” all they want. No one will listen.
Both sides make valid points, but my opinion is that the non-interventionists are a bit exaggerated in their concerns, perhaps making the mistake of overcorrecting for previous sins. The Bush/Cheney Iraq war cost trillions of dollars and thousands of lives for basically nothing. Now, many see any middle east involvement whatsoever as equally toxic, whereas, that is likely not the case. Sometimes the US might have to use their military might for the security benefit of the western world, which includes the US. Every president drops bombs, and ultimately, Trump did decide to help Israel as the US had the only weapons capable of destroying the Fordow uranium enrichment facility. The threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon has plagued the West for decades, and Trump finally did something about it.
Trump declared no war. Tanks are not rolling into Tehran, and no occupying force of troops will be deployed. It is remarkable how quickly we have forgotten that it was Donald Trump himself who redefined the notion of patriotism to include being anti-war. I believe if any person has earned some credibility and trust on this topic, it’s the current Commander-in-Chief. It is upsetting to see those on the right overreact as if they can predict the future, saying, “Oh, here comes another world war!” especially when the truth is probably nowhere near that statement. Russian and China are both presently stretched beyond their limits of involving themselves in a war against the US under Donald Trump. Further, the genocidal theocracy of Iran has become the country no one in their own neighborhood even respects. As I write this, Iran has launched missiles against a Qatari US Base, an attack immediately condemned by the major Middle East countries. Interestingly, the launch was courteously scheduled with the Qatari government, giving ample time to makes sure the missiles could be intercepted and there would be no casualties. This theatrical response is reminiscent of what Iran did after Trump ordered the assassination of General Soleimani in 2020, and, like then, it will likely be the final act of our involvement.
Trump is no warmonger and has earned some trust and latitude from the American people regarding when to use our immense military strength. Let Israel take it from here, and let US involvement end. President Donald Trump terminated the nuclear threat from the number one state sponsor of Jihad. For this he deserves gratitude from the world, not baseless impeachment threats from mindless Democrats. And we certainly shouldn’t be seeing right wing media hacks hoping for escalation just so they can say they were right.
