The Atlantic‘s Jeffrey Goldberg has published a thoughtful profile on former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. But lamenting Mattis’ refusal to directly criticize President Trump, Goldberg misses the key point: America won’t rise or fall on the partisan rancor of the moment, or on Trump’s unpredictability, but rather on the endurance of its best values.

Goldberg fails to recognize that Mattis must put America’s long-term interests first. Mattis’ condemnation of Trump’s leadership would only stoke the partisan fires. It would win no moral battles. Such battles can only be won when those fires are denied fuel.