An extremely powerful critique of President Trump’s policies and conduct in office by an impressive group of former Republican officials merits serious attention and approval, even if the reader disagrees with the group’s ultimate conclusion.
Seventy-four former national security officials (and a few congressmen) from all Republican presidential administrations dating back to Ronald Reagan signed the detailed critique. Their indictment of Trump is so strong that they conclude that “Vice President Joe Biden should be elected the next President of the United States.”
Set aside that conclusion, which I do not share, for another day. Concentrate on the substance of the underlying analysis. It is analysis that comes from respected, conservative heavy hitters. They include former Reagan-era Director of the FBI and the CIA William Webster, former Navy Secretary and NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe, former Deputy Secretary of Defense William Taft, and Ken Wainstein, a former White House homeland security adviser and twice a short-lister for FBI director.
The anti-Trump argument is divided into 10 compelling sections. Each of them has merit. For example, No. 1 is that “Donald Trump has gravely damaged America’s role as world leader.” Evidence? “He has called NATO ‘obsolete,’ branded Europe a ‘foe,’ mocked the leaders of America’s closest friends, and threatened to terminate longstanding U.S. alliances.”
Argument No. 3 is that “Donald Trump has solicited foreign influence.” How? “Trump publicly asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to assist his 2016 campaign, called on Chinese President Xi Jinping to ‘start an investigation’ into his current political opponent, and pressured the president of Ukraine to act against his opponent.”
No. 4 is that “Donald Trump has aligned himself with dictators and failed to stand up for American values.” For example, “Trump has regularly praised the actions of dictators and human rights abusers” by providing massive verbal support to Putin, Xi, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and Turkish Islamist president Recep Erdogan.
The statement also blasts Trump for disparaging U.S. armed forces, prisoners of war, and Gold Star families, for interfering in the military justice system, for undermining the rule of law (in multiple ways specified in the statement), and for dangerously mismanaging his national security team in ways destabilizing for diplomacy and military readiness. And more.
Apart from the idea that Biden would somehow be better, every single one of the manifesto’s major condemnations of Trump is on target. Indeed, volumes could be written in support of each of the assessments. Aside from his effective support for Israel, Trump’s diplomacy has been disastrous, and sometimes corrupt as well.
Under Trump, the Taliban has become resurgent, North Korea emboldened, Russia reinvigorated in power politics (even if not in domestic health), China ascendant, and Iran, Russia, and Turkey all with potentially dangerous footholds in Syria. With the United States withdrawal from international engagement, freedom worldwide continues its sad retreat.
These assessments come not from the political Left, but from conservatives and center-rightists. The assessments are very much on target. The best thing that could happen for American diplomacy is for Trump to withdraw from his bid for re-election.
