Former President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the Prairie du Chien Area Arts Center in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, on Saturday. (Kamil Krzacynski – AFP / Getty Images)
By Michael Schwarz October 4, 2024 at 9:23am
Sometimes the intensity of a news cycle prevents important developments from reaching wider audiences.
Thursday on the social media platform X, former Director of Oval Office Operations Madeleine Westerhout posted a letter in which hundreds of national security and foreign policy professionals endorsed former President Donald Trump while quoting one of the Bible’s most famous passages.
“In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, ‘blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be sons of God.’ (Matthew 5:9) Such is the legacy of the Trump Administration,” the letter read.
Senior National Security and Foreign Policy Officals support @realDonaldTrump because Peace Through Strength Works! https://t.co/r9nllEvqiC
— Madeleine Westerhout (@mewesterhout) October 3, 2024
Earlier this week, Iran attacked Israel. That attack occurred only days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the United States in search of still more support for his country’s war against Russia.
Thus, the signers of the Trump endorsement letter highlighted the catastrophic failures of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, under whose weak leadership the world teeters on the brink of World War III.
“The 2024 presidential election comes at a critical time in world affairs. The policies of the Biden-Harris Administration have invited conflict, diminished America’s standing around the globe, and imperiled our national security,” the letter read.
Was the U.S. more secure under Trump’s presidency?
Indeed, Biden and Harris have squandered the peace and security they inherited from Trump. They have squandered it so quickly, in fact, that one wonders if they did so on purpose.
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s foreign policy has been marked by repeated failures. From a world at peace under President Trump, we are closer to a third world war than ever before under the Biden-Harris Administration,” the letter continued.
Trump, on the other hand, “time and time again, presented himself as a peacemaker.”
The letter then described the former president’s successes, including the historic 2020 Abraham Accords.
By contrast, the Biden-Harris administration has failed every major foreign-policy test, starting with its catastrophic retreat from Afghanistan.
“The botched withdrawal from Afghanistan under the Biden-Harris Administration in 2021, led to the unnecessary deaths of thirteen brave American troops at Abbey Gate and left untold billions of dollars of high grade military equipment to the Taliban, making it the most well-armed terror organization in the world,” the letter read.
Readers might have missed this endorsement letter amid a news cycle that so far this week has included Iran’s attack on Israel, Republican vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance’s dominant debate against Democratic counterpart Tim Walz, and deepening outrage over the federal government’s response to Hurricane Helene.
Nonetheless, on the whole this letter ranks as one of the more important developments in the campaign thus far.
For one thing, with impeccable timing, it highlighted Trump as the peace candidate.
But it also sent a message to the deep state.
To understand that message, recall that in the closing weeks of the 2020 election 51 intelligence officials signed a letter dismissing the Hunter Biden laptop story as “Russian disinformation.” That story, of course, turned out to be true.
Then, last month, 741 former national security officials signed an equally dishonest letter endorsing Harris.
In other words, it appeared that the entire national security establishment had aligned itself against Trump.
Thursday’s letter, however, made it clear that the former president has substantial support.
In fact, the list of signers went on for 18 typed pages. It included former Cabinet members, senior national security and foreign policy professionals and family members of those killed during the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Of course, some of those names do not exactly inspire confidence among Trump supporters. They included former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Attorney General Bill Barr and former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley.
On the other hand, Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Rick Grenell signed the letter. So did Tom Homan, former Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Indeed, the sheer volume of signers is impressive, but so are some of the names listed among the professionals.
In short, the letter made clear that many of its signers understand how the deep state operates.
Most important of all, it told the deep state that Trump, the peace candidate, does not stand alone.
Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.
Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.
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