The President’s Decision Showed Strength, Leadership, and a Love of Country

People hold posters showing the portrait of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani during a protest outside the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on Jan. 5, 2020. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Commentary

Many Democrats in Congress are criticizing President Donald Trump’s recent decision to target Iran’s top general, Qasem Soleimani, in Iraq.

In doing so, they have shown that they have not learned from the failures of presidents Carter and Obama, who led from a position of weakness as opposed to one of strength.

This approach, in tandem with their other far-left policies, is far more dangerous to this country than is Trump’s recent decision.

Shortly after the strike on Soleimani, many Democrats weighed in and criticized the president.

According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi:

“Tonight’s airstrike risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence. America – and the world – cannot afford to have tensions escalate to the point of no return. ... The full Congress must be immediately briefed on this serious situation and on the next steps under consideration by the Administration, including the significant escalation of the deployment of additional troops to the region.”

Former Vice President Joe Biden said that President Trump “tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox.” In a fundraising message he said that the United States “could now be on the brink of a major conflict across the Middle East.”

Bernie Sanders stated that “Trump’s dangerous escalation brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East that could cost countless lives and trillions more dollars.”

Elizabeth Warren called Soleimani “a murderer, responsible for the deaths of thousands, including hundreds of Americans,” yet stated that Trump’s “reckless move escalates the situation with Iran and increases the likelihood of more deaths and new Middle East conflict.”

These Democrats share an approach that is apologetic, weak, defensive in nature, and void of any solutions. Amazingly, they ignore the imminent threat that Soleimani posed and instead focus on the president and what he allegedly did wrong.

Sadly, this is not the first time that Democrats in Congress have attacked the president. For example, Pelosi also criticized the president’s decision to authorize a raid in Syria in which ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed. Pelosi was wrong in that case and is also wrong in this one.

Democrats in Congress argue that the president’s recent decision has endangered the nation and Americans abroad. For example, following the strike, Mayor Bill de Blasio accused the U.S. government of declaring war on Iran and of making New York less safe due to possible Iranian retaliation. However, this position shows a misunderstanding of the circumstances and is merely a method of deflecting attention away from the reality of the situation.

More particularly, do de Blasio and his Democratic colleagues in Congress honestly believe that Iran and/or its proxies would have simply walked away or left Americans and American interests alone had Trump not ordered the recent strike? If so, how would they reconcile this naïve approach with the many American deaths that have tragically occurred at the hands of Iran, Soleimani, or one of their proxies before the recent strike?

What would Democrats say to the families of the innocent Americans who recently lost their lives in Iraq or the families of the hundreds of U.S. troops who were killed during the U.S. war in Iraq (by militias that were armed and trained by the Quds Force)?

Finally, what would de Blasio and his Democratic colleagues do to prevent the apparent imminent attack that was being orchestrated by Soleimani and/or Iran?

While many Democrats in Congress have been quick to attack the president’s decision, they have been slow to provide any solutions as to how to deal with the Iranian threat. Rather, they have resorted to the predictably weak approach that has been consistent within their party.

This was seen in 1979, when former President Jimmy Carter was unable to obtain the release of many Americans who were taken hostage by militants at the American embassy in Tehran. The Iran crisis lasted for 444 days and portrayed Carter as weak and ineffective. It was only after Ronald Reagan was elected that the hostages were released, although some opine that it was Carter’s negotiations that led to their release.

Democratic weakness and appeasement were also in full display by way of the Iran deal. Specifically, some Democrats attacked President Trump for his decision to walk away from former President Barack Obama’s terrible deal with Iran, where Iran was given ridiculous sums of money in exchange for its “promise” to forego its nuclear-bomb-making efforts.

This deal was doomed to fail from the start and portrayed the United States as a foolish and gullible nation, as Iran had no intention of stopping its nuclear-bomb-making efforts and ambitions.

Rather than pointing fingers at the president, perhaps Democrats in Congress and those running for president should consider whether their conduct and policies are enabling the nation’s adversaries and making them bolder. Perhaps they should think about how others perceive their relentless and personal attacks on the president of the United States and their interminable quest to remove a duly elected president. Do they not realize that others could view this as a sign of a country that’s in disarray? One that’s vulnerable?

Finally, Democrats in Congress and those on the far-left should seriously consider whether their support of open borders, opposition to ICE, and other far-left policies make the nation more vulnerable. These policies don’t show acceptance and tolerance. Rather, they show weakness, promote lawlessness, and increase the nation’s vulnerability.

While the president does not seek war with Iran, his decision to counter an imminent threat to Americans and American interests showed strength and was well within his rights. The president of the United States must lead with strength, foresight, intelligence, and conviction, as the country cannot afford complacency, appeasement, and weakness.

As Rep. Lee Zelden pointed out:

“Iran doesn’t respect weakness; only strength. W/all the blood on Soleimani’s hands, murdering 500+ U.S. troops & planning more attacks, Iran’s terrorist regime should only be surprised this didn’t happen sooner. Last night’s strike was targeted, necessary, legal & proportional.”

If not for Trump’s love of country, self-confidence, and inner strength, the United States would be in big trouble. No other president could withstand what he has been forced to endure (nor should they). Rather than blaming and attacking him, it’s time for Democrats in Congress to put country first and to support and praise the president for his many accomplishments.

Elad Hakim is a writer, commentator, and attorney. His articles have been published in The Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, The Federalist, The Algemeiner, The Western Journal, American Thinker, and other online publications.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.