Trump shows the world what he’s made of

In what will likely be remembered as the most monumental decision of his presidency, Donald Trump decided to pull the trigger. The very vocal portion of his supporters that advocated publicly against action to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities found out, much to their chagrin, where they stand in the pecking order. Under Trump, the president himself, alone, decides what will be done – and he will not be threatened, cajoled, or blackmailed out of doing what he believes to be right. Trump has been emphatic since 2011: Iran cannot be allowed to have a bomb. And he was willing to go as far as sending seven B-2 bombers thousands of miles across the seas to make sure of it.

What does this do to Trump’s coalition? Some will claim it is irrevocably broken, captured by neocons and interventionists. This is sour grapes from losers, who falsely claimed to lead hordes of MAGA supporters ready to march in the streets when in reality they were just hosting podcasts and Twitch streams. The truth is that Americans who support Donald Trump care about results, just as he does: so long as no American boots are on the ground or bodies are coming home in flag-draped caskets, they are content. And in this case, given the window of opportunity provided by the incredible effect of the Israeli offensive against the Iranians, the momentum was solidly with those of us who believe there’s no better time to kick a regime than when it’s down.

What does this do to Trump’s reputation? It emphatically boosts it, telling the world that he means business and you had better pay attention when he sets a deadline. He was magnanimous in attempts to achieve a deal of some kind with the Iranian regime, to the point of repeatedly sending Steve Witkoff and others to negotiate, ultimately to no end. The 60 day clock was not a Barack Obama red line, it was a very real thing. As regards Trump’s reputation in foreign capitals, both friendly and hostile, this morning brings an entirely new mindset about the American Commander in Chief, with recognition of seriousness of consequence for those who ignore him. Imagine the reaction this morning in Moscow, Zhongnanhai and Residence No. 55. These Americans are not to be messed with, except at your peril. The blob can’t protect you now.

What does this do to America’s internal debate about interventionism? This is more circumspect. The Crate and Barrel doctrine of “you break it, you bought it” has been applied often to past administrations, on both sides of the interventionist argument. Peaceniks use it to warn against unknown ramifications, while neoconservatives have used it to defend endless obligations around the world in the face of civil wars, power vacuums, and humanitarian disasters. But Trump appears to be the unique president whose ears will be deaf to such calls. There can be no moral bullying of someone who just does not care what results are brought to people other than Americans. This is what defines him as America First beyond any of his competing followers – three of whom were standing behind him as he spoke last night. He will ignore as irrelevant distractions the images of suffering people if those people are not Americans. Elites may call this heartless, but it’s a cold-blooded logic that Trump has applied time and again.

What this past week showed us how ruthless this president can be when he wants to be. Those of us who analyze and report about him for a living are often put in the position of the old men and the elephant, but Trump himself alone is the elephant. He tells you who he is. He listens, he watches, he weighs the decision, and when he deems the time is right, he acts. This act is a legacy-making one, one way or the other. For the sake of millions of lives not just in the Middle East but around the world, let us pray he chose the right path.