The New York Yankees’ baseball franchise dominated their sport in the 20th century. At one point, they won six out of 10 World Series titles, which included a never duplicated four in a row. Their manager was a colorful and eccentric personality named Casey Stengel. A journalist once asked Stengel what the secret of his success was. Stengel responded, “You got to keep the five guys that hate you away from the four that are still undecided.”
On that note, I write my support for Donald Trump in an effort to keep the Trump haters away from the rest of you that are still undecided.
In two previous letters, I cited 48 reasons for my gratitude to have Donald Trump as my president. A hostile reader inadvertently inspired a 49th, when he reminded me that Trump had volunteered to refund all profits made on his hotel in Washington, D.C., that were related to government business.
I would like to add 22 more. This list will emphasize foreign affairs and defense issues:
- Obama’s legacy included leaving 50 percent of our navy aircraft with poor maintenance and unsafe flying protocols. Trump has upgraded and restored them to fighting strength.
- The Veterans Administration has the right to fire anyone neglecting or abusing a patient. That policy was not previously observed.
- Veterans can now see their own physician instead of having to use VA physicians.
- I am a strong supporter of Israel. I do not expect those of you who would like to destroy Israel to find any of the following appealing. Trump announced that the Golan Heights be recognized as a sovereign part of Israel. Just as with the embassy move to Jerusalem, which recognized the right of a sovereign nation to choose its own capital, the Trump administration stopped decades of previous diplomatic obfuscations and took a clear position.
- Trump stopped payments and funding to the Palestinian Authority. The PA had been spending on “salaries” for terrorists in Israeli prisons. This effectively ended American participation in “pay for slay.”
- Trump closed the Palestinian embassy in Washington, D.C.
- Trump halted the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey once they decided to buy S-400 anti-aircraft arms from Russia. He also canceled their “preferential trade agreement.”
- Defunded UNESCO because of its erasure of Jewish patrimony in Israel, including calling the Tomb of the (Jewish) Patriarchs and the Tomb of Rachel “Palestinian” heritage sites.
- Defending Israel at the U.N. firmly and without apology.
- Trump pushed to classify Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization
- Removed the word “occupied” from State Department documents regarding the West Bank in deference to the fact that those territories are disputed and were previously occupied by Jordan
- The international criminal court wanted to prosecute American soldiers for war crimes in Afghanistan. Trump refused to recognize the international criminal court jurisdiction over our soldiers and even those of our allies i.e. Israel, etc. He believes our own courts are more than capable of dealing with human rights violations.
- Trump launched an inquiry regarding titanium sponge imports. Titanium sponge is a critical material in military and aerospace applications. We import 60 percent of our titanium sponge. Trump wants to ensure domestic production is sufficient should our dependency on foreign supplies be compromised. The supply chain must be protected were we to be involved in a long-term military conflict.
- Trump modified our national security strategy and national defense strategy. We need protection from Chinese incursions regarding cybersecurity. The future consensus has now shifted to the priority of Chinese threats and downgraded the previous priority of fighting terrorism.
- Worked against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project to reduce Putin’s influence in Europe.
- Vetoed legislation which intended to stop military aid for the civil war in Yemen. The aid was to combat the influence of Iran which is considered of more paramount importance.
- Israeli intelligence picked up Iranian terrorism and attack intentions. The targets were American and those allied with us. Trump sent an aircraft carrier support group to the area. Weakness, not shows of strength, is what leads to war.
- Pentagon Secretary Pat Shanahan said the U.S. will no longer “tiptoe” around Chinese bad behavior. He cited the theft of trade secrets and the militarization of islands in the South China Sea.
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the German chancellor, if you adopt Huawei, then we will not share any more intelligence with you.
- Obama released two Rwandans living in the U.S. to Australia in a refugee exchange. The two Rwandans butchered two American tourists visiting a gorilla sanctuary in Africa. Obama allowed them to avoid prosecution. Trump was furious and told off the Australian prime minister but the deal was done in the last hours of Obama’s presidency and could not be reversed.
- A Palestinian businessman, who attended the recent U.S.-led “Peace to Prosperity Conference” in Bahrain, was arrested on his return to Hebron by the Palestinian Authority. The PA had ordered a boycott of the conference. Trump threatened the PA. Subsequently, the man was released.
- After the U.S. defeated ISIS and the Caliphate, we have detained about 1,800 fighters. Many of these fighters left European countries to join the battle. These countries do not want to take these fighters back. Trump reminded them that the United States spent lives and money to win that war and the least these countries could do was to prosecute these individuals. Otherwise, they would have to be released. Many would wind up finding their way back to their original countries clandestinely. At that point, they are ticking time bombs for future terrorist attacks. It would be nice if the Europeans showed some gratitude.
Dozens more to come.
MAGA.
Dr. Wayne Roth
Roslyn Heights, NY