The New York Times reported that 111 Former G.O.P. national security officials have signed a letter backing Kamala Harris, calling Trump 'Unfit to Serve.' The list includes just about everyone in the Beltway NeoCon Military Industrial Complex, including former members of Congress, defense secretaries, and C.I.A. directors.
It was an extraordinary rebuke of a former president under whose tenure no new wars were fought, Russia did not invade Ukraine, Hamas did not terrorize Israel, and Iran's proxy wars in the rest of the Middle East were tamed. Even better, illegal immigration was down to the lowest levels in decades; Trump's leadership on the Abraham Accords brought Saudi Arabia to agree to talk to Israel, and his vision to end America's presence in Afghanistan ended a 20-year nation-building exercise that drained trillions of dollars, killed tens of thousands, and wounded even more.
Just one of these accomplishments should have been sufficient for former G.O.P. security officials to extend support to Trump and help defeat Harris. All of these successes should have had them campaign day and night for Trump.
Instead, they now back Kamala Harris? For what?
At the National Association of Black Journalists, a friendly forum for her that quizzed her on topics she likes - such as racial justice and abortion - Harris showed how unprepared she was for handling international crises. When a reporter pressed her on what policy changes she would push to end the madness in Israel, she talked about a minor tactical matter to hold 2,000 lb bombs from Israel as a way to force Tel Aviv into the talks. Seriously? America has committed nearly $20 billion in new arms and equipment, Israel already has the most sophisticated military in that part of the world, and a set of 2,000-pound bombs would sway Israel? It demonstrates how clueless she is.
When pressed even more, all she would say was that her policy was to get a deal—to end the hostage crisis and enact a ceasefire agreement—done. Three weeks from now will mark the first anniversary of the gruesome attacks on 1,200 Israeli citizens - why is a deal still not in place?
Harris also boasted about her "direct" conversations with "the Prime Minister (of Israel), the President, with Egyptian leaders, and our allies." She never mentioned the perpetrators of the crimes, like Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Iranians. How can you get a deal when you don't talk to the other side? This is the kind of leader the 111 GOP Neocons support?
We examined the rationale for why T.D.S. Republicans are casting their weight behind Harris by looking at their letter. Evidently, Trump had demonstrated "dangerous qualities," including "unusual affinity" for dictators like President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and Kim Jong Un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, and "contempt for the norms of decent, ethical and lawful behavior."
And they resorted to the usual baseless charge:
As president, he promoted daily chaos in government, praised our enemies and undermined our allies, politicized the military and disparaged our veterans, prioritized his personal interest above American interests, and betrayed our values, democracy, and this country's founding documents.
Chaos. The only thing on which we agree with the Never Trumpers is that there was chaos in the Trump White House. However, as Trump has conceded numerous times in recent months, he was new to Washington and was adjusting to an ecosystem where leaks and backstabbing are constant fixtures. He didn't know whom to trust, having been abandoned by the G.O.P. elites as early as when he accepted the G.O.P. nomination in 2016. Most G.O.P. leaders sat out the convention. And when those he trusted, like F.B.I. Director James Comey kept notes, leaked to a Columbia professor, and initiated the Mueller investigation. Trump knew that the Deep State—the same kind of officials who signed the Harris letter yesterday- was after him for four whole years.
But all their other charges are baseless.
Undermine our allies? Trump did not undermine our wealthy allies except to force them to share more of the military burden by sticking to their stated goals and agreements. Trump was laughed at when he demanded that E.U. nations contribute 2% of their G.D.P. to NATO, as were the charter requirements. Today, in part because of Trump's pressure and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, seven NATO nations - United Kingdom, Estonia, Greece, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Croatia - have complied, with more than 20 nations committing to meet the 2% target next year. Trump had outstanding relations with Japan's Abe, India's Modi, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. Shouldn't the G.O.P. elite be celebrating Trump?
Praise our enemies? Trump indeed praised Putin, but that relationship helped America collaborate with Russia to eliminate the threat of ISIS. Talking at a town hall in Flint, Trump displayed remarkable maturity in saying that having friendly relations with nuclear powers is not a bad thing. Shouldn't the G.O.P. elite be all over Trump in praise for helping to avoid nuclear war?
Politicized the military and disparaged our veterans? Under Trump, the Pentagon's budget saw significant increases. From fiscal year 2017 to 2021, the budget grew from approximately $580 billion to around $740 billion, representing an increase of about 27% over his four-year term. Trump created the Space Force. And because no money was spent on new wars or weapons, the growth was part of Trump's focus on rebuilding the military and increasing defense spending. Again, shouldn't the GOP elite be applauding Trump's leadership?
He prioritized his interests above American interests? This is nonsense. Trump did not accept a dollar in salary from the Treasury. President Biden was far more corrupt, allowing his family to peddle access to the White House and make millions. Any business deals that Trump struck were an extension of an empire that existed before he sought office. In any case, Trump's organization was run by his family, not by Trump.
He betrayed our values, democracy, and this country's founding documents. This last charge is the most hypocritical coming from the Deep State, which engaged in Russia-Russia-Russia, a needless impeachment regarding Ukraine (when we now know the extent of corruption in that country), and all the engineered charges by the Left during the 2020 election to undermine its integrity.
The Washington Post symbolized the resistance from the Deep State. On January 20, 2017, the day Donald Trump was inaugurated, the Post published a headline that read, "The impeachment of Donald Trump begins."
The TDS NeoCons' resentment of Trump is rooted in their opposition to the new world order — MAGA — that Trump is set to unleash. It is little wonder that they are behind Harris. They want to protect the status quo that has led America close to World War III, all in the name of preserving the old world order.
