Donald Trump promised a safer world in which countries would respect American leadership.
Well, Israel just attacked Iran, claiming a “pre-emptive strike,” killing Gen. Hossein Salami, the commander in chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and attempting to wipe out the country’s nuclear program. Secretary of State Rubio said the Trump Administration was not involved in Israel’s “unilateral” attack. What we do know is that the Trump administration was planning to negotiate with Iran this weekend, and Prime Minister Netanyahu just gave a middle finger to Trump and the United States, Israel’s greatest military and economic benefactor.
So much for the world respecting America.
Predictably, Republican elected officials are already parroting AIPAC talking points and praying for Israel, which just poured gasoline on the raging fire of its own creation thanks to its ongoing genocide in Gaza. “Israel IS right—and has a right—to defend itself!” said Speaker Mike Johnson, which begs the question, “Does Iran have the right to defend itself and respond?”
Cooler heads must prevail, but then again, we’re dealing with right-wing authoritarians, war hawks, and a Trump regime that has unleashed ICE agents and the National Guard to terrorize U.S. citizens and residents. Meanwhile, Netanyahu, a war criminal, is willing to blow up the world to stay in power and escape accountability. It bears mentioning that he was given a green light for the past year and a half by the Biden Administration.
Will Democrats finally meet their base and threaten to withhold funding and weapons from Israel until it stops occupying Palestinians and behaving like a belligerent war-monger? Will Trump step up and publicly criticize Netanyahu?
We all hope for immediate de-escalation, but we have to be prepared for the worst. As such, I invited my old colleague, Matt Duss, to discuss what to expect in the coming weeks. Duss is the former foreign policy advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders and is currently the EVP of the Center for International Policy.
Give us a watch.
Thank you Shambhavi Sarasvati, Dixiane Hallaj, Pamela, Mnera, Earl Brownlee, and many others for tuning into my live video with Matt Duss! Join me for my next live video in the app.
