POMPEO: How Trump Administration Deterrence of America’s Enemies Worked and How It Can Work Again Today
The provision of American aid should always support America’s fundamental national interests. It is the responsibility of our entire federal government, from Congress to the Executive branch, to ensure that it does not support endeavors that are frivolous or undermine America’s security and prosperity. This week, Congress faces particularly difficult funding decisions that concern the continued provision of aid to partners and allies like Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. It is absolutely the right thing for America’s national security interests to help these nations defend themselves and deter further aggression, but the American people are also right to expect an honest explanation for how and why their taxpayer dollars are being spent. Here is the case I hope leaders in Congress and the Biden Administration make to the American people.
This conversation must begin with the state of global affairs. War continues to spread across the Middle East due to the Iranian regime’s malfeasance; conflict continues in Eastern Europe without a clear end in sight; actors like Chairman Kim and Nicolas Maduro have increased their saber-rattling, threatening our interests and the well-being of our allies; and Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party seem more intent than ever to make good on their threats against Taiwan. The model of deterrence built by the Trump Administration, which prevented war for four years, is now dangerously decaying on President Biden’s watch.
Some may wish to dismiss these conflicts as far away and of no consequence to the average American family. This is simply not the case. What occurs in the Middle East, in Ukraine, or in the Indo-Pacific affects every citizen in our country by impacting supply chains, inflating prices, or placing the men and women in our military at increased risk. Pretending otherwise is dishonest.
Think about what has happened in just three years: The Russian invasion of Ukraine roiled global energy markets and contributed to historic levels of inflation. Iran’s malign activities have shut down commercial shipping in the Red Sea and put our ally Israel at great risk, and its proxies have killed American soldiers. In Afghanistan, 13 American soldiers were killed in a shameful, embarrassing retreat. These conflicts impact every American’s life, from farmers in Kansas to factory workers in Michigan to tech entrepreneurs in California. America’s prosperity is tied to the global economy, and the global economy functions in large part because America has been willing to use its power to ensure it remains free and fair. This benefits America, and it also benefits the world.
Actors like Xi and Putin now seek to replace the current system with one that allows them to call the shots, not the United States. Iran has the capacity to fund proxies across the Middle East because its oil exports to China have tripled since 2020. China has helped Russia evade Western sanctions by becoming its top customer for discounted oil, while Iran has supplied Putin’s regime with weapons, drones, and munitions. Each of these nations has its own ambitions, but they are linked together by a common opposition to the United States and the global system from which we and the entire free world benefit.
Deterring these actors by providing aid to our partners and allies is therefore in the best interests of our country and people. In the Trump Administration, it’s why we continued funding Israel’s Iron Dome, stepped up our security commitments across the Indo-Pacific to deter an aggressive China, and undertook similar efforts with partners and allies across the Middle East to deter Iran. And yes, we supplied Ukraine with the weapons it needed to deter a Russian invasion and defend itself if Putin ever made good on his threats. I am confident that because of this aid – in addition to the uncommon valor shown by Ukraine’s military – Putin’s initial invasion of the country failed.
What prevents war? It is not appeasing those who want to attack you or doing nothing. What prevents war is a strong America, dedicated to upholding a model of deterrence that convinces our enemies they cannot profit from attacking our interests. But the cost of maintaining deterrence becomes far greater when we allow it to decay – unfortunately, this is the position the Biden Administration’s foreign policy failures have now put us in. Helping Ukraine defend itself amidst an invasion is far costlier than giving it the necessary tools to deter an invasion in the first place. Mobilizing our resources to strike back at Iran is far costlier than convincing Iran not to put Americans at risk. It is the Biden Administration’s failures that are now costing the American people; and while it is necessary to now bear these costs in order to keep America safe and prosperous, it is also necessary to elect leaders in 2024 who will not repeat those mistakes.
Support the work of the ACLJ as we continue to bring you expert analysis and legal action on the issues that matter most.
