Friedman: Patrick, it really baffles me about Trump, particularly because he brings this intriguing potential upside. He’s the kind of person who’s not afraid to shake things up a bit, and sometimes, that’s necessary. I mean, why is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict still unresolved? How come we still have Palestinian refugees decades after Israel’s creation? And why does the war in Ukraine continue to drag on as a stalemate?
Thinking deeply about these issues is indeed beneficial, but here’s where it gets problematic: Trump tends to embrace radical questions with ease but seems to blindly accept whatever narratives figures like Putin put forward when it comes to solutions.
Healy: Exactly, Tom. And it’s not just Putin; he seems to be in alignment with Netanyahu too. When I describe them as “thick as thieves,” it’s perplexing how Trump perceives these leaders. They clearly act to further their own agendas, which often don’t align with America’s interests.
This brings up a crucial point: as President of the United States, is Trump acting in the nation’s best interests, or is it all about what’s best for Donald Trump at any given time? Let me share my perspective, and I’d love your input on it.
I’ve been thinking about Trump’s fascination with leaders like Putin, Xi Jinping, and Bibi Netanyahu. It seems he views these individuals as powerful strongmen among feeble societies and fragile individuals. Take Europe, for instance; he possibly views it as an amalgam of struggling economies, open borders, and diluted national identities. Essentially, it’s as if he sees the world as open for anyone strong enough to take control.
And I can’t help but wonder, fast forward a couple of years, will we find ourselves in a situation where the U.S. claims Greenland, Putin has his way in Ukraine, Netanyahu operates unchecked in Gaza and the Middle East, and Xi does as he pleases in Taiwan?
