Democratic Platform Attacks Trump for Not Going to War
Donald Trump oversaw some scary moments in international politics. The former president seriously escalated tensions with North Korea and Iran, leading to several war scares. But he pulled back from the brink, sometimes against the wishes of his more hawkish advisers. He avoided a direct U.S.-Iranian war and opened a direct line of communication with North Korea.
Democrats seem to wish he’d gone to war instead. The Democratic National Committee’s 2024 platform, approved in a symbolic vote on Monday night, tries to outhawk Trump, denouncing his “fecklessness” on Iran and his “love letters” to North Korea. Although the platform condemns Trump for pulling out of diplomacy with Iran, it also attacks his decisions not to bomb Iran at several crucial points.
Ironically, the Democratic platform is not much different from Republicans’ own attacks on the Biden administration. Each side accuses the other of weakness, and neither wants to take credit for diplomacy or own the compromises necessary to avoid war.
It’s easy to forget now, but in 2017 the Korean peninsula had become a remarkably tense place. North Korea was testing nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of hitting U.S. soil. The U.S. military was massing forces in the region, and Trump was issuing threats.
Trump’s national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, reportedly called for a military attack aimed at giving North Korea a “bloody nose.” McMaster and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R–S.C.) publicly warned that war might be inevitable.
And then, in January 2018, a false alarm drove home the lesson that nuclear war is nothing to play around with. During a disaster preparedness drill, authorities in Hawaii accidentally sent an alert about an incoming ballistic missile. For more than half an hour, Hawaiians and tourists were convinced that they were going to die in a nuclear war.
A few months later, McMaster was out of the White House. Trump accepted an invitation to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June 2018. Trump met Kim again in February 2019. Stepping over the North Korean–South Korean border in June 2019, Trump became the first U.S. president to visit North Korea.
The meetings failed to secure a permanent agreement—it didn’t help that McMaster’s replacement, John Bolton, publicly hinted that denuclearization would end in Kim’s violent death—but they bought some crucial breathing room.
The Democrats’ 2024 platform attacks the very idea of talks with North Korea. Trump’s approach, the platform says, was “embarrassing the United States on the world stage including by flattering and legitimizing Kim Jong Un, exchanging ‘love letters’ with the North Korean dictator.”
This isn’t a break with past Democratic rhetoric. During the presidential debates in 2019, then-candidate Joe Biden said that Trump gave “North Korea everything they wanted, creating the legitimacy by having a meeting with Kim Jong Un.” Another candidate, Kamala Harris, said that there are “no concessions to be made. He has traded a photo op for nothing.”
If even talking to North Korea is a “concession,” then it’s hard to see what alternative Harris would accept, other than continuing to barrel towards nuclear war.
Iran, unlike North Korea, does not have nuclear weapons. In 2017, Trump tore up an international agreement that regulated Iranian nuclear activities, instead betting on a “maximum pressure” campaign designed
Article from Latest
The Reason Magazine website is a go-to destination for libertarians seeking cogent analysis, investigative reporting, and thought-provoking commentary. Championing the principles of individual freedom, limited government, and free markets, the site offers a diverse range of articles, videos, and podcasts that challenge conventional wisdom and advocate for libertarian solutions. Whether you’re interested in politics, culture, or technology, Reason provides a unique lens that prioritizes liberty and rational discourse. It’s an essential resource for those who value critical thinking and nuanced debate in the pursuit of a freer society.