The Left has long established itself as a perpetual critic of President Trump, especially in foreign affairs. When Trump ordered the destruction of Venezuelan drug-trafficking boats, many on the Left, including several senators and representatives, were outraged. How dare he target these boats? The critics asserted that these vessels were possibly navigated by innocent fishermen simply seeking to make a living.
Never mind that satellite imagery and intelligence confirmed these weren’t fishing vessels; each speeding toward the U.S. and representing highly suspicious watercraft, loaded with dual engines and barrels of narcotics – clear indicators of drug traffickers. And now Iran! How could he?
Such criticism is nothing new from the Left; they are quick to accuse without any facts. What Leftists consistently fail to realize, to their embarrassment – if they could actually experience embarrassment – is that their side has engaged in more extreme uses of military force.
From the moment Barack Obama took office in January 2009, he aggressively pursued military action, particularly with the extensive use of missile-equipped drones. These drones were deployed to target suspected terrorists anywhere in the world, regardless of nationality or location.
By May 2012, even The New York Times reported that Obama had created a "kill list" that he personally vetted, making life-and-death decisions more akin to managing a sports team roster than a national security strategy. Obama reviewed the backgrounds and biographies of terror suspects as if he were choosing players for a game, deciding who would “play” and who would be “benched.”
Obama’s involvement in these decisions was so extensive that he took satisfaction in determining who would live and who would die. At one point in 2011, he reportedly said to senior aides, "Turns out I'm really good at killing people. Didn't know that was gonna be a strong suit of mine."
The quote was published in the 2013 book, "Double Down: Game Change 2012," which was written by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. It is frequently cited by critics of Obama and his expansion of drone warfare. All told, Obama oversaw in excess of 540 drone strikes leading to 3,797 deaths, including 324 civilians.
While Obama had the full weight of the U.S. intelligence community behind him, his drone strikes still raised alarm. Some of the individuals targeted, alarmingly, were U.S. citizens, some of whom were never tried or convicted in a court of law. Obama's justification? His self-selected internal procedures as president were the only safeguards needed to make such life-and-death decisions, and the individuals targeted were not entitled to the protections afforded by the U.S. Constitution.
Throughout Obama’s tenure, his aggressive use of drone strikes routinely met with complete and utter silence from the Left. As for Joe Biden, he or his puppet masters authorized targeted military strikes, defensive deployments, and counter-terrorism operations against Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq, Syria, and Houthi targets in Yemen to protect U.S. personnel. Fair enough.
Americans have long favored presidents who are strong and decisive in the fight against terror, even if that means taking extreme measures. While we are a nation of laws and firmly believe in justice, at times national security concerns take precedence. In the case of potential terrorists, it is often preferable to eliminate the threat first and ask questions later.
Obama’s actions, it can be argued, were built upon the groundwork laid by George W. Bush. Following the 9/11 attacks, Bush responded with stern measures to protect the nation from threats that suddenly became all too real. Obama expanded these policies, using military force against enemies.
Bush's use of military power can be debated, whereas Obama’s strikes on both foreign terrorists and U.S. citizens, without judicial oversight, raised serious questions.
President Trump has been careful and deliberate in his use of force. Strikes such as those against Venezuelan drug boats are minor compared to more dramatic military actions. The Trump administration has targeted high-profile threats, beyond Iran and Venezuela. In Syria, Yemen, and elsewhere, Trump has acted decisively and in the face of the standard, constant criticism from the Left.
With the ongoing war with Iran, from the first day, the Left has voiced outrage at every level of military action. No matter what Trump does, they criticize it, with fake-stream media eager to amplify their complaints.
From accusations of abuse of power to claims that Trump is undermining American values, the Left is determined to cast him as a villain.
If only the Left scrutinized their own past leaders. Looking at the actions of Barack Obama and even Bill Clinton, who used military force in Kosovo, Iraq, and elsewhere, it is clear that unilateral presidential use of military power is neither new nor partisan.
If the Left understood anything about the past 35 years of U.S. presidencies, or recognized the ongoing threats to our nation, they might pause before issuing their constant stream of complaints. However, they have shown disdain, time and time again, for facts that disrupt their pious narratives.
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