Tyrants and bullies are who Trump admires the most, and he had no qualms about admitting his dictatorial aspirations on the campaign trail. The media and millions of Americans brushed those comments aside as unserious or only intended for emphasis.
Since he won the election, Trump has threatened to take over Canada and make them the 51st state, has threatened Panama over wanting control of the Panama Canal, has said he could resort to harsh tariffs or worse against Denmark, one of America’s closest allies, if they don’t give us Greenland, and has discussed invading Mexico under the pretense of going to war with drug cartels.
All of this comes after Trump’s repeated threats to leave the NATO alliance and his public announcement that Putin should attack our allies because Trump would refuse to protect them.
Trump doesn’t see NATO as the powerful, influential alliance that it is. He views it as America protecting weaker nations. Putin, Kim, and Xi are where Trump finds inspiration.
I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, “This is genius.” Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine. Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful.
So, Putin is now saying, “It’s independent,” a large section of Ukraine. I said, “How smart is that?” And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper. That’s strongest peace force… We could use that on our southern border. That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re gonna keep peace all right. No, but think of it. Here’s a guy who’s very savvy… I know him very well. Very, very well.
While Trump was busy praising Putin for a war-crime-filled invasion into a peaceful neighboring nation, the world was relearning a lesson history has taught us over and over again: Appeasement emboldens bullies and tyrants. The only thing they respond to is strength.
Vladimir Putin has become a pariah on the world stage. The tyrannical invasion of Ukraine strengthened the NATO alliance, leading to military build-up and new membership. His war crimes resulted in an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court, making it all but impossible for Putin to travel outside of a few remaining loyal nations. Even China, who supported Russia through an enemy of our enemy lens, has pulled back its support as the Ukraine war has dragged on with little advancement.
Putin now finds himself making regretful deals that tie him to madman Kim Jong Un and Iran, a nation quickly losing power as Israeli and US forces have decimated its proxy terrorist organizations.
Several European nations heavily relied on Russia for natural gas before the war. Today, they’ve built new infrastructure and energy agreements to no longer need it. Russia’s economy is nearly collapsing, and it has become reliant on the war to prop itself up—a move that cannot last indefinitely. Putin will have few friends when the war ends.
NATO has a new resolve against tyranny, and the world is growing tired of bullies. Canada and Mexico have stood firm against Trump’s threats, promising to retaliate in kind to aggressive actions. Panama spoke out strongly against Trump while demonstrators chanted “spilled blood will never be forgotten” and “hands off Panama” as they marched to the eternal flame in remembrance of the bloody uprising against US control of the canal in 1964. January 9th has been a day of remembrance for Panama ever since and is worth Americans remembering, too.
To think that we are entitled to anything we want because we’re American is disgusting. To believe we can continue to lead the world without allies is foolishly narcissistic.
The world is preparing for a second, more aggressive, Trump term. NATO logistics and defenses controlled by the US, such as the air defenses in Poland, are being handed over to NATO to ensure the alliance can continue operating effectively no matter what Trump tries. Here at home, multiple state governors are enacting measures to protect states’ and their citizens’ rights against someone who stated he would be a dictator on day one.
No one wants to work with a bully. Trump demanded that NATO members increase their military spending, or he would abandon the alliance. However, NATO spending is higher under Biden, with much of that money being spent on US armaments, bringing tens of billions of dollars in federal contracts and jobs to America.
Trump demanded that Mexico pay for a border wall on American soil. Mexico refused, and border crossings hit record highs. Trump enacted harsh sanctions on Venezuela, causing a massive increase in Venezuelan migrants reaching our soil. Biden worked with Mexico, getting the nation to increase its immigration enforcement and eased sanctions on Venezuela. Border crossings are 33% lower today than when Trump left office, despite constant Republican obstruction to border efforts.
Denmark is one of America’s most steadfast allies, and America already has a military base in Greenland. It would take little effort to talk to the Danes about allowing the US to build another base and influence the critical Arctic shipping lanes around Greenland. They would almost certainly find an agreeable solution. Instead, Trump threatens our ally, demanding they hand over the entire island nation or face harsh tariffs and potential military action.
Trump doesn’t have a clue about diplomacy. He is used to leveraging the extravagant wealth his father gave him to bury small contractors in expensive legal limbo to avoid paying them simply because he could. That’s bush league compared to the world stage.
Putin and Xi, men Trump admires and likes to consider his equals, can manipulate and play Trump with ease. He doesn’t have the understanding, expertise, or negotiation skills to take on ruthless and cunning adversaries.
Russia desires to be a military superpower that can use its military might to get what it wants, but America and the NATO alliance have stood in the way. With Trump threatening American imperialism, doors are opening for Russia’s aggression.
China wants to be the world’s economic leader. For decades, it has tried to get the world to abandon the US dollar in favor of the Yuan. America’s free trade agreements, investments, and diplomacy have kept the dollar a stable, desirable currency. But now, Trump wants to enact broad global tariffs, a dream scenario for our economic adversary.
Trump’s first term saw America’s world standing plummet to record lows, and our leader was laughed at in the UN. The world knows what to expect during a second Trump administration and is fully prepared to fight back. Will America be able to repair the damage done four years from now, or will the world have moved on from the era of American leadership?
https://www.clayandbuck.com/president-trump-with-cb-from-mar-a-lago