High time to support president
Nation’s safety at risk
With the grave multipronged threats facing America — from North Korea developing nuclear warheads capable of hitting the U.S., to shameful chemical attacks on civilians in Syria, to the war against ISIS — both sides of the aisle in Congress need to put partisan politics aside and support President Trump.
The Trump administration capped a busy day by launching dozens of cruise missiles at a Syrian air base last night, in response to President Bashar Assad’s chemical attacks on his own people. The airstrikes came during Trump’s first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in the most high-stakes summit of the Republican’s young presidency.
Undoubtedly the most pressing issue facing the two world leaders is curtailing North Korea’s nuclear program, which if left unchecked could deliver a nuclear missile capable of striking Hawaii, if not California, by 2018.
In order to protect our homeland, Trump needs to use the lifelong negotiating skills he’s honed as a successful businessman to convince Xi to take effective measures by way of economic sanctions to debilitate North Korea’s advancing nuclear program.
Blocking North Korea from China’s banking system is one such weapon at Xi’s disposal, as well as cutting off its critical supply chain of commodities such as food, coal and other resources to get Kim Jong Un in line — if not removed from power altogether.
In exchange for action China has been reluctant to take so far, Trump could offer concessions ranging from reducing U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, peacefully dealing with its South China Sea expansion and other economic tradeoffs.
A bilateral alliance with China not only benefits both superpowers, it could present a unified show of strength that would pressure Russia to assist in getting Syria to end its gruesome civil war. Even if that means ousting Assad from power.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said “steps are underway” to build an international coalition to remove Assad from power — with or without Russia’s help.
Democrats should want the genocide to end in Syria as much as Republicans do. Both parties should be in favor of eradicating the Islamic State and most importantly all parties must recognize the urgency of stopping a nuclear North Korea before our homeland is hit.
It’s high time Washington stopped the infighting and came together before the nation. That begins with supporting our commander in chief at this pivotal point in history. With all that’s at stake — and so many lives on the line — the Beltway partisanship must cease and desist.
We’re on war footing.