As a failed president, he presided over the decline of America's influence in the world. He weakened America's position in the Middle East, with virtually all U.S. bases coming under attack and allied countries left exposed, revealing that America could not fully defend them against an enemy it could not decisively defeat itself. He also handed them control of the Strait of Hormuz, contributing to skyrocketing oil prices, and, combined with reckless tariffs, he virtually wrecked the global economy.
He also made corruption appear official, even attempting to take $10 billion from American taxpayers through what critics described as a baseless lawsuit, while living at the White House at taxpayers' expense. He accepted gifts, including a private jet that was retrofitted using taxpayer money, with the hope of eventually converting it into his personal aircraft. There were also crypto ventures here, executive orders that benefited his businesses there. To many, it appeared to be corruption on a scale never before seen from an American president.
By being so open about it, he also undermined the moral authority that America had long claimed on the world stage. It was not just corruption; it was also narcissism on a level never seen before. He put his image on the U.S. passport, the U.S. dollar, and on U.S. bridges and buildings, including one named after the assassinated President John F. Kennedy.
Supporters who had attacked President Biden over allegations involving his son's business dealings largely remained silent, speaking out of both sides of their mouths and seemingly unsure how to respond. It was, in my view, a global and domestic disaster unfolding live on television for the entire world to witness.
๐จ๐บ๐ธ Vance and Caine both warned Trump about America's depleted munitions stockpile before he halted the strikes on Iran.
-Vice President JD Vance AND Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine raised stockpile concerns directly to Trump at Friday's White House meeting as he weighed escalation
-A Defense Department source confirmed to CNN that operations are "on a hold," though it's unclear if the stockpile warning was the primary driver of the pause or how long it lasts
-Even while publicly floating a "massive attack," Trump privately directed his negotiators to "keep talking," per a source familiar
-Few in his inner circle or the Pentagon believed escalation would deliver the results he wanted, and Gulf countries have urged restraint in recent conversations
-Caine and other military leaders warned Trump BEFORE the war began that a protracted campaign could drain the stockpiles, a warning now five months proven
-The Pentagon's pushback: America's military "has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President's choosing"
The vice president joining the chairman in the ammunition briefing is the alignment that matters.
When the political heir and the top military officer deliver the same warning in the same meeting, the message is unmistakable: the arsenal can't fund the rhetoric.
Caine said this before the first bomb fell.
Five months and 1,200 Patriots later, the president finally paused long enough to hear it.
Source: CNN / Writer: Daniel