Some speakers at the RNC tried to sell « peace through strength. » Others vowed war « for generations to come. »
Rep. Mike Waltz (R–Fla.) is a fan of forever wars if there ever was one.
« Under President [Donald] Trump we had a president who defeated ISIS, broke Iran, stood with Israel, always stood with our allies, made China pay », Waltz bragged at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night. « You didn’t see any spy balloons under President Trump, did you? He deterred Russia. You know what he told [Russian leader Vladimir] Putin? You try anything, and I’ll take the tops off the Kremlin. »
And to round it all out, Waltz called President Joe Biden’s military withdrawal from Afghanistan « a stain on our national conscience », promising instead that Trump brings « peace through America’s strength. »
That was the message of the RNC’s third night. Although some speakers made nods to ending the « endless wars » or achieving « peace through strength », the convention was a relentless attack on any kind of military drawdown or diplomacy—or as former speaker of the house Newt Gingrich put it, « appeasement in the world. »
Instead, speakers called for Americans to prepare for an endless struggle against a kaleidoscope of enemies, especially in the Middle East and Muslim world. The night began with a speech by Rep. Brian Mast (R–Fla.), a U.S. Army veteran who was wounded in Afghanistan and later volunteered for the Israeli military.
« Biden and [Vice President Kamala] Harris’s weakness invites aggression and our enemies are on the march », he said.
