Trump did not campaign as an isolationist and thus cannot be charged with “flip flopping” because he is not acting like an isolationist in office. Both the original charge and its new twist are examples of “fake news” concocted by Trump’s opponents and being properly ignored by his supporters.
By William R. Hawkins l May 2, 2017
In the wake of the April 6 missile strike on a Syrian airbase, critics of President Donald Trump sparked media frenzy about his supposed “flip flop” on foreign policy which would allegedly alienate his anti-establishment followers and open the door to the return of “neoconservatives” to power in Washington.
This charge was predicated on the notion that Trump had run as an “isolationist” who had won votes by pledging to keep the country out of war along the lines of Woodrow Wilson in 1916. The problem with this charge is that it was based on a false narrative created by critics of Trump who tried to discredit his qualifications to be Commander-in-Chief.
If Barack Obama was weak because he wanted to “lead from behind,” a successor who didn’t want to lead at all in world affairs could not protect American interests or security. Those who took part in this smear campaign ran the gamut from rivals in the Republican establishment to Hillary Clinton supporters who stressed her active record as Secretary of State........There has been confusion about Trump’s unilateralism; equating it with isolationism. But the two terms are not synonyms.
Trump’s determination to do what is best for America does not mean he is abandoning allies. The first thing he did upon taking office was to dispatch his national security team (all of whom are veteran actors on the world stage) to trouble spots around the world while hosting a steady stream of foreign leaders at the White House.
He feels like George W. Bush, who famously said America “does not need a permission slip” from anyone else to defend its interests. Trump’s attack on Syria followed the failure of a UN resolution to sanction Damascus officials for the use of chemical weapons; a resolution vetoed by Russia and China. This should send a message to Beijing about the sincerity of Trump’s statement that “If China is not going to solve North Korea, we will.”........To Read More.....
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