What Trump just taught Colombia — and his critics
If we simplify foreign policy down to levels even the most dedicated Kamala Harris voter can understand, it comes in two forms: proactive and reactive. Proactive foreign policy involves being on the “before” side of events, using various levers of power or influence to control situations before they get out of hand. Meanwhile, reactive foreign policy relies on being on the “after” side, sitting back and only acting once chaos has already (and often irreversibly) broken out.
Proactive foreign policy blows the candle out before the curtains catch fire. Reactive foreign policy calls 911 once the house is already burning down.
Now, most American foreign policy “experts” would see themselves as proactive actors. But the reality? Almost all are entirely reactive, often made worse when we consider that their only preemptive actions exacerbate what inevitably becomes a foreign policy disaster.
This is one area where President Donald Trump stands alone. His form of foreign policy — certainly in the context of issues he did not inherit, such as the hostage crisis after Hamas carried out their pogrom of October 7 — is entirely proactive, and there’s no better example of this than his handling of Colombia.
Colombia, the socialist dictatorship, not Columbia, the socialist dictatorship masquerading as a university.
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On Sunday, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he was “just informed that two repatriation flights” stocked full of “a large number of illegal criminals” were not permitted to land in Colombia following an order given by “Socialist President Gustavo Petro.”
Previous administrations — in a world where illegal immigrant criminals were actually deported — would have either ignored this completely or released a polite statement expressing deep concern.
But not Trump.
You can read the rest of my latest column on the Washington Examiner website.