A Reminder

Polling shows that the American people are not impressed with Joe Biden's leadership right now. Only 33% approve of his handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of Americans (62%) don't believe Putin would have invaded Ukraine if Donald Trump were still president. 

But the more I thought about it, it really ought to be 100%, not 62%, because it's not a hypothetical question. 

Donald Trump was president. During his four years in office, Putin yearned to control Ukraine as much as he does now. But he did nothing then. Why not? Because he feared what President Trump would do. 

I bring this up because the only silver lining in this disaster is that it might help some Americans think more clearly about war and peace, strength and weakness. 

We should all be explaining this to friends and family members who still don't get it. 

• Under Obama/Biden, Putin seized territory and nothing was done. 
• Under Trump/Pence, Putin seized nothing.
• Under Biden/Harris, Putin is once again seizing territory. 

It can't get any clearer than that.

Trump's entire foreign policy was based on strength and putting America first.

• Under Trump we became energy independent, driving down the price of oil, which accounts for about 40% of Russia's budget. 
• Trump took out Iranian terror mastermind General Soleimani. 
• He moved the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which other presidents said they would do, but didn't. 
• He put North Korea in its place. 
• He got us out of the Iran nuclear deal, and imposed tough sanctions that crippled Iran's economy. 

But Joe Biden took office last year and immediately declared war against the U.S. energy industry. He canceled the Keystone XL pipeline and approved Russia's pipeline to Europe. Even now, with gasoline prices surging and Russia on the march, he still refuses to increase domestic energy production.

Biden has begged the Iranians for a new nuclear deal in exchange for lifting sanctions. He retreated from Afghanistan while leaving Americans behind, in addition to leaving billions of dollars of military equipment behind – equipment that would be very useful to the Ukrainians right now.

Strength, whether it's Churchill, Reagan or Trump, is more likely to ensure peace, while weakness, whether it's a Neville Chamberlain, Jimmy Carter or Joe Biden, makes war more likely.