The Trump administration came into power facing vexing foreign policy challenges ranging from a decaying global order to transnational terrorism. These problems are compounded by the fact that Americans are weary after decades of war in distant corners of the Middle East. To succeed, the administration has to balance competing imperatives: reaffirming alliances, engaging in transactional bargains with other great powers, and relentlessly pushing back on adversaries. Despite all the sound and fury, the Trump team is already demonstrating an ability to master these complex challenges in difficult times.

The Democratic Party resistance is already crying foul that the recent strike on Syria was not instantaneously followed up by a comprehensive strategy to resolve the civil war. There is something unusual about this critique from those who stood by while chemical munitions were repeatedly used under the Obama administration.