President Trump seems to be trying in earnest to end the Iran war that we embarked upon on Israel’s behalf, and it’s upsetting all the right people. If New York Times columnists Bret Stephens and Thomas Friedman are disappointed, the president is doing something right.
These are the Israel First type people who are anathema to Trump’s stated 2016, 2020, and 2024 campaign agendas. They’re not just uninterested in what Trump said were his priorities. They’re directly opposed to them.
Here’s what Friedman said this week after Trump announced that the U.S. and Iran had reached the early stages of a settlement to the war: “Trump sold out America’s ally in the war, Israel, and the Arab Gulf states for the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan. … He had to stop the war now to get prices down by November. … So, Trump did what he always does: He abandoned all principle and all allies and put his personal interests above all other considerations.”
Note the way Friedman says Trump “sold out America’s ally” for the sake of siding with states in the actual U.S. That’s like blaming someone for siding with his family over his coworkers. But that’s genuinely how Israel Firsters like Friedman view the world — America’s responsibility is first to other nations, rather than its own citizenry. Friedman considers the opposite to be selfish, which is why he framed Trump’s decision as “his personal interests,” because he can’t fathom a president who would prioritize the economic well-being of Americans over the war aims of Israel.
Now let’s look at Stephens, who also wrote this week after the announced settlement intentions: “Trump got spooked after the [Iranian] regime didn’t instantly crumble and energy prices shot up. He then effectively abandoned the war he had started after less than six weeks of sustained combat — combat in which the United States lost fewer service members than in the 1983 invasion of Grenada. … [I]t’s not odd for a president whose very essence is betrayal of everyone and everything, his own words not least.”
Once again, you can see the casual dismissal of the cost of energy having “shot up,” which “spooked” the president. Those prices might have changed your life, sharply reducing the things you can buy and the places you can go, but that’s of no concern to Israel First people. Your burden is their benefit. And that relative to some other conflict fewer Americans died, that’s their bonus. Not as many mothers lost their sons and you should be celebrating.
These are not Trump supporters. They never were. In fact, Bret Stephens was a proud “Never Trump” voter, then a self-identified “Biden conservative,” then he voted for Kamala Harris, and then, only after all of that failure, he declared himself “done with Never Trump.” No, people like Stephens and, to a somewhat lesser degree, Friedman, were only mildly supportive of Trump when he wanted to fight a war in Israel’s interests. That they feel put out is exactly the way it should be.
There are strong arguments on both sides as to whether this war was worth it. Many of us are simply ready for it to be over, so we can move on and refocus our problem-solving skills within the borders of this country, rather than across the Atlantic Ocean. That bothers all the right people and hopefully the president sees that as a good thing.
