Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) claimed on Tuesday that the world would be safer and more peaceful if Donald Trump were still president. In an interview with CNN, Graham stated, “I believe if Trump were president, none of this would be going on.” He specifically mentioned that Hamas would not have attacked Israel and Putin would not have invaded Ukraine because they would fear Trump.
However, Graham’s claim contradicts statements made by Trump himself. Recently, Trump boasted about making U.S. loyalty to allies contingent upon them paying more for protection. During an event in Iowa, Trump recalled telling world leaders that their countries needed to contribute more financially or risk losing U.S. support. In fact, he explicitly stated, “I will not protect you” if they fail to meet the financial requirements.
Trump’s approach to foreign policy has been controversial. He infamously sought personal favors in exchange for U.S. support, as seen in his first impeachment over a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In that call, he tried to leverage U.S. military aid in exchange for Ukraine investigating Joe Biden, his political rival at the time.
Furthermore, Trump has shown admiration for despots and dictators. He praised Hamas as “very smart” and repeatedly commended Russian President Vladimir Putin, even calling his invasion of Ukraine “genius.” Trump also dismissed U.S. intelligence reports that found Russian interference in the 2016 election, siding with Putin instead.
In contrast, Trump has been critical of U.S. allies. He referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a “far left lunatic” and accused French President Emmanuel Macron of being “very insulting.”
Overall, while Sen. Lindsey Graham believes the world would be safer with Trump as president, his claim overlooks Trump’s controversial foreign policy approach and his admiration for autocratic leaders.
