This week’s White House Report Card has our grader Jed Babbin giving President Trump an A- for his actions on international policy. And the conservative analyst noted that the two dozen Democratic 2020 primary candidates haven’t landed a blow on the president yet.
Jed Babbin
Grade A-
Heightened war tensions with Iran, the ongoing trade war with China, and a new immigration plan highlighted another very busy week for President Trump.
Escalating tensions with Iran caused Trump to order all of our diplomatic personnel, except “emergency staff,” to evacuate from Iraq. Iran has moved short-range ballistic missiles within range of US troops in Iraq, Syria and much of the Middle East. Trump reportedly told acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan that he didn’t want war with Iran, but Iran’s moves — such its repositioning missiles — increases the danger of open war a hundredfold. Reports of Trump’s dissatisfaction with advisers such as John Bolton are likely very overblown.
.@BilldeBlasio is the worst Mayor in the history of New York City – he won’t last long! pic.twitter.com/NyYntsX573
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2019
On national security grounds, Trump blacklisted Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE from selling equipment to U.S. companies building the new 5G cell phone networks. Trump’s move was entirely correct because of the danger that Chinese intelligence and military agencies would almost certainly have covert access to everything passing on a Huawei-built (or ZTE-built) network. U.S. companies selling computer chips and such to Huawei will also be damaged. The Chinese threatened retaliation, but Trump isn’t backing down.
Announced Thursday, Trump’s new immigration plan seeks to convert the preference for immigrants’ relatives to one for people with valuable skills, education, and the ability to speak English. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke condescendingly about Trump’s plan, saying that any preference for skilled people was “condescending.”
The @WhiteHouse is lit blue tonight in remembrance and honor of our fallen law enforcement officers. Thank you to all the men and women in law enforcement who work hard to keep us safe. #NationalPoliceWeek pic.twitter.com/5moPlmsEDt
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 16, 2019
The plan is dead on arrival in Congress but that doesn’t matter. Trump is prepping the 2020 political battlefield with proposals such as this immigration gambit.
In another move, he said that anyone who ambushed and killed a police officer should be put to death. So far, the Democrats have two dozen candidates seeking the nomination to take on Trump. But from “Sleepy Joe” Biden to “Alfred E. Neuman” Pete Buttigieg, not one of them seems to be laying a glove on Trump. The latest candidate, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, was labeled an “unmitigated disaster” by the New York City police union. They should know.
Jed Babbin is an Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin.
