Neither members of Congress nor the wider American citizenry truly understands what’s in the mind of the president and why he decided to join forces with Israel in a war against Iran.
Meanwhile, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, singularly concerned with Iran’s attempts to develop a nuclear weapon, has justified his decision saying it was “to thwart existential threats to Israel and the U.S.”
For President Donald Trump, the Israeli leader’s words appeared to be enough, apparently swallowing Netanyahu’s rhetorical quip, hook, line and sinker.
But as the war moves from days to weeks, more Americans are asking, perhaps in hindsight, what happened to the president’s 2024 election campaign promises that he touted with his usual bravado? Where’s the immediate end to inflation, the slashed energy prices to the tune of 50%, or the reassurance that American soldiers would never be faced with “boots on the ground” orders in wars overseas?
“Make America Great Again” might have had a nice ring to some. However, most Americans would prefer the president focus on simply making things in America “affordable again,” particularly amid a partial government shutdown.
Surely, if we can afford a six-day, war-related price tag to the tune of $11.3 billion, then our leaders should find it simple to settle their differences so TSA workers and other Department of Homeland Security employees can finally be paid.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon says to expect additional costs to hit Americans’ wallets, including: deploying troops to the Middle East, medical expenses, the replacement of military aircraft lost in war, and the cost of munitions. Who knew that bullets and bombs cost $1 billion each day?
But there’s another issue that’s even more disconcerting: the cost in human lives and severe injuries to our armed forces in numbers that are already beginning to surge.
Americans deserve the truth from Congress and the president about the game plan behind this war. And in the absence of clearly delineated objectives from the president, requests for additional funds shouldn’t even be considered.
For now, as leaders continue to keep U.S. citizens in the dark and meander blindly behind Israel into a war born out of choice and not necessity, Americans can expect to see more soldiers hurt or killed, fewer families able to keep up with unprecedentedly rising costs, and overall human suffering.
If Trump truly is considering “America First,” then he truly needs to start prioritizing the well-being of all Americans.