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Order Robert Spencer’s new book, Holy Hell: Islam’s Abuse of Women and the Infidels Who Enable It: HERE.
No one ever thought this day would come: On Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, the flag of the Islamic State (ISIS) flew once again over Raqqa, the Syrian city that once served as its capital.
It was around ten years ago now that ISIS controlled a territory in Iraq and Syria that was larger than Britain. Given Barack Obama’s indifference (which is the best face one can put on his behavior) to its continued presence and even expansion, the ISIS caliphate looked as if it was here to stay. Then, however, came Donald J. Trump.
In a major speech on counterterrorism in August 2016, Trump pledged that “my administration will aggressively pursue joint and coalition military operations to crush and destroy ISIS.” The promise was made, and the promise was kept. Within a matter of months after his inauguration, the ISIS caliphate was no more.
And that wasn’t all. Trump said we could not only could we not allow ISIS’s evils to continue, but “nor can we let the hateful ideology of Radical Islam – its oppression of women, gays, children, and nonbelievers – be allowed to reside or spread within our own countries. We will defeat Radical Islamic Terrorism, just as we have defeated every threat we have faced in every age before.”
As part of that effort, in June 2017, President Trump called out Qatar: “The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level. And in the wake of that conference, nations came together and spoke to me about confronting Qatar over its behavior. So we had a decision to make: Do we take the easy road or do we finally take a hard but necessary action. We have to stop the funding of terrorism. I decided along with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, our great generals and military people, the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding. They have to end that funding. And its extremist ideology in terms of funding. I want to call on all other nations to stop immediately supporting terrorism.”
Qatar paid no attention. On October 7, 2023, top Hamas leaders were in Doha, watching video of Hamas’ massacre of Israelis and glorifying Allah for the carnage. Nevertheless, when Trump two years later forced Israel to stop pursuing its goal of destroying Hamas utterly and ending its ongoing threat against Israeli civilians, he praised Qatar’s role in bringing about this spurious peace: “Qatar was a tremendous help to getting this done. I hope people can realize that. It was very tough and very dangerous for Qatar. They were very brave.” He even provided Qatar a guarantee of its security in case of attack.
None of this has ever been explained. Trump has never made reference to his 2017 statement about Qatar funding terrorism. Nor has he explained how his wholehearted embrace of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda leader who has shown not a single concrete sign of having genuinely changed his beliefs or goals, squares with his previously stated determination to fight “radical Islamic terrorism.” He doesn’t speak about that anymore, either.
It was Trump’s apparent admiration for al-Sharaa that led directly to ISIS’ reappearance in Raqqa. The Middle East Forum noted Monday that “in 2025 and 2026, Tom Barrack, the U.S. presidential envoy to Syria, threw the Kurds under the bus to appease a former U.S.-designated terrorist. In January 2026, the U.S. government pushed the Kurds to accept a fourteen-point plan, a ceasefire and integration agreement between the Transitional Syrian Government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. It was a choice between a deeply flawed peace and the possibility of ethnic cleansing.”
The peace was more than deeply flawed; it was entirely chimerical. The Syrian army of Ahmed al-Sharaa is made up of his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihad warriors, who proceeded to attack the Kurds in the same way that they previously attacked the Druze, the Alawites, and the Christians of Syria. ISIS jihadis flowed back into Syria from their refuge in Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey, eager to take up where they left off. They encountered no impediments to their doing so. The Kurds drove them out in the first place, with Trump’s backing, but now the Kurds have been betrayed. With Trump’s backing.
There have been two presidents who have been elected to two non-consecutive terms, Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump, and both are numbered twice on official lists of presidents. So we have, in effect, two President Trumps, 45 and 47, and they’re increasingly different from one another.
“The rise of ISIS,” the first Trump said in that August 2016 speech, “is the direct result of policy decisions made by President Obama and Secretary Clinton.” He was right. It is also right to say that the return of ISIS is the direct result of policy decisions made by President Trump and Tom Barrack. That is, the second Trump.
Will the first Trump return and clean up this mess?
Unlikely. I might have thought it possible before he promised the Iranian people he would have their backs and help would come to aid them in overthrowing the Islamic regime. Promise made, promise kept? NO!
When Al Sharaa stepped out of his Islamic phone booth wearing a suit with a manicured beard and sans his turban, Trump apparently became an amnesiac and all the previous blood shed by ISIS in Syria disappeared down the caliphate drain. Then Qatar, one jumbo jet later, and the Saudis ink “deals” with the US allowing them the kind of access that raise HUGE. RED FLAGS for our national security. And Trump’s fictitious peace for Israel is orchestrating inroads for these two Islamic nations along with Türkiye in Judea-Samaria which also seriously compromises Israel’s self defense. Trump’s dictate to Hamas was disregarded since Hamas has never has disarmed and they are actively rearming and recruiting new fighters. I’d like to be optimistic that Trump would look at what he’s already done and stop but the horse is already out of the barn and it appears that what he is doing is actively supporting goals in the Middle East that facilitate power coalitions and factions tied together with greater aspirations than Trump understands and none of them bode well for the people of Iran and Syria, or the Nation of Israel but Trump’s company business deals in Qatar, Saudi Arabia along with prospects in Türkiye should set him and his extended family up quite well. What will happen to America only G-d knows but it’s not looking good so far!
Donald Trump has no long range thinking or long principles it would not be a surprise if his second term ends in failure or even disaster.
“Concrete problems cannot even be grasped, let alone judged or solved, without reference to abstract principles.….
Americans are the most reality-oriented people on earth. Their outstanding characteristic is the childhood form of reasoning: common sense. It is their only protection. But common sense is not enough where theoretical knowledge is required: it can make simple, concrete-bound connections—it cannot integrate complex issues, or deal with wide abstractions, or forecast the future….
Political freedom… requires an enormously complex knowledge of political theory and of how to implement it in practice.” – Ayn Rand
Agree 100% with everything you expressed in that first short paragraph. I sometimes wonder if the inexplicable issues with Trump are founded in cognitive decline, or if it’s all just ignorance, ego, and who has his ear. To hear him drone on and on, repeatedly (as he did as recently as today) about how he stopped the hangings makes me want to vomit. Or when he talks about the woman ICE killed when she tried to drive her car into them and how it’s a shame she died because her father was a Trump supporter. He is Exhibit A for a grandiose narcissist and it is a very dangerous and intractable character flaw / personality trait.
I have lost my faith in him and am feeling nervous about how the next few years will unfold.
Trump’s a weird dude. ISIS, good grief ISIS! It’s a Satan sandwich, at least don’t pass them out to everyone.
Trump supporters demand you back him on his support of the ISIS head of state in Syria or they start carping about how it’s TDS and you hate Trump. He’s the same as his first term. Same guy. Evidently everything he does has to be rabidly backed. It’s like he’s got a child’s mind and we’re responsible to herd cats.
Qatar may want us to like the ISIS creep and demand normalization that he’s head of Syria but it’s like finding AH is alive, Reinhard Heydrich, Himmler or Goebbels and placing him head of Germany post war with all the political benefit. Trump can’t expect everyone to go along with this schtick once again, he’s under my wing now crap as his default on everything. He’s got to realize there are limits.
Trump is fine for the most part, he has done more than decades worth of politicians ever come close to accomplish. Still ,an awful lot is cosmetic in those accomplishments. What is exasperating is that issues that need resolving to save the Republic don’t interest him. For some of us, it makes for a miserable slow death and it is difficult for us to celebrate the multiple and extraordinary wins. Others chose to ignore it.
One example of how his ego may be central in predicting his behavior, maga hardcore demand no questioning of Trump’s hard line of no consequences, but it escalates and catalyzes the other side into taking dangerous action and only a child would not see what danger his inaction is to ICE police. No one is supposed to question Trump, but anytime a leader does something like this it’s a huge indictment.
In his first term he kept trusting and hiring the wrong people he seems to be doing the same thing with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the Muslim countries. He is trusting the wrong people once again.
To have success you must first be loyal to long range, rational principles, you must follow long range principles, not follow people.
Only by agreeing upon and following long range rational principles can mutually beneficial alliances and friendships be established and maintained.
Agree. Anyone not besotted sees this is a totally different man. One can speculate on what happened to change him but it doesnt matter to Israel, where he saves and lauds Hamas and rebuilds terror cities (and of course arsenals under ground). This allows a saved and empowered Hamas to attack Israel again. No care for the aspirations of Israelis families of those slaughtered by Hamas, fallen IDF, and IDF with PTSD, only the aspirations of darling Hamas and Hamas supporters. Which have been to end Israel and Jews.
It remains to be seen if he helps the Iran people. If not, he has the deaths of the doctor-reported 16 thousand plus killed on his head for exhorting them to protest because help is coming. I suspect he will save Khomeni as he saved Hamas..
He is beholden to Islam or has become a monster
It is not cognitive decline. Rather, it has to do with his love for the dollar. Look at Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner: they would like to transform Gaza into a “beautiful resort,” because they are funded by Qatar and Turkey.. Their plans would destroy Israel because it would enable the Nazi Hamas to remain armed in Gaza, Their plans reflect Trump’s tendency to conduct foreign policies that would further enrich him.
Ah yes the king of the “abstract” hath spoken. Isn’t that index card of this oft repeated dumb ass comment wearing out yet.
Not exactly the example of loyalty are you. The well of your objectivism is drying up…………obviously
From the guy who thinks we should arm ourselves, Sure, that’ll solve the unforced errors of President Trump…
Maybe you should get your god Trump to read Francisco’s Money Speech.
Putting a cap on credit card rates? Did Trump steal that idea from the Democrats who refuse to acknowledge the downsides of rent control and “minimum wage” legislation.
Help us. If the economy is as good as Trump claims, why should the Fed lower rates as Trump wants?
Trump wants more foreign investment in the U.S. C’mon, make me look silly by explaining how foreigners can get those U.S. dollars if they don’t have a trade surplus, i.e. a capital account deficit, with the U.S.
It matters not to me if you are armed or not. But if you want to stay unprepared for what may be coming when the SHTF that’s your business.
I don’t have to make you look silly. You do that just fine all on your own. You remind me of that idiot economunist Ritchie Johnston from that silly Illinois college from last year who always tried to challenge us with his worthless theories about tariffs.
All you Trump haters are doing is encouraging folks to vote for Democrats. I guess you like open borders, crime, smelly illegals and high interest rates. Yes you are that stupid. Move to Minnesota stan.
Are they “theories” about tariffs or is there a tsunami of evidence to support those theories?
Do you need a trigger warning before anyone criticizes your god, Trump?
You are incapable of explaining how foreigners can invest in the U.S. if there is no capital account deficit. You clearly aren’t particularly “intrepid” when it comes to giving that explanation.
You better hope your god doesn’t put a tax on pathetically-telling non sequiturs. A large “Blue Lives Matter” sign hangs from the front porch of my house. I support ICE. Seek treatment for Desperate-Evasive-Retort Syndrome.
Trump=hater? Get a clue for a change. (You’re smelling too much gun powder.) I voted for him and want his to avoid once again giving us a Dem POTUS with a DEM House and Senate. If he ends up “bluing” it again, I’m confident you will resort to “all the elections are stolen.”
“Mad Dog” Mattis and Jerome Powell, two people your god chose, say “hello.”
Perhaps, you would benefit significantly from reading more and talking less. The evidence of what Trump has and continues doing is staring you in the face. Why is it you find countering with factually based evidence so difficult?
Having long range plans, strategies and forging valuable and lasting relationships with other countries requires this kind of thinking and planning beyond the last tweet or X flurry of Trump’s insults. This is particularly true in his recent statement to the Iranian people who took him at his word. Regardless of who he is selecting as his counsel, the buck stops with him and Americans, many of whom voted for him, are witnessing the ever-widening chasm between his words and his actions. Currently, he makes statements about the issues with ICE and the Somali fraud but that seems to be the beginning and end of his interest as our federal immigration officers and whistleblowers uncovering this mushrooming fraud are in the line of sight of these rabid insurrectionists for whom nothing significant is being done to STOP THEM! Leaving officers to address protecting their lives resulting in shooting someone in self defense is only further advancing the cause of these vicious malcontents. Instead of his incendiary comments. He should dictate the means required to stop it so the lawful removal of these illegals under federal immigration laws can continue. That is but one “America First” example. Using one’s rational faculties in decision ing making is both a critical skill and the outcome is the use of good judgment. The warranted criticism of Trump’s chosen counsel, resulting in bad decision making remains up to him to clear them out; none of which he seems to be doing. It seems that what THX is pointing out is a rational observation and criticism based on his words, deeds and the results of them. Shooting the messenger will not absolve Trump of anything and pointing it out is a responsibility of all citizens of our republic in holding him accountable.
That’s operating in rationally based reality, not blind loyalty.
From Cafe Hayek and Professor Don Boudreaux: “Any competent economics undergraduate could have predicted Canada’s response to Mr. Trump’s tariffs. And that same undergraduate would now tell the president that this new tariff threat will only drive Canada and other allies further away from the U.S. and, in turn, weaken America’s economy.”
“Impetuous” accurately describes Trump’s use of tariffs.
Trump wants ceilings on credit card rates. Hmmm, read “Forty Centuries of Wage and Price Controls..”
Please give us President Trump’s plans to address the absurdly high deficit and the absurd unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare.
I’m getting a bigger tax refund check because of the recent change thanks to Trump. Money for nothing! Do I get my chicks for free next?
Please make me look silly by explaining how foreigners can get the U.S. dollars they need to invest in the U.S. if they do not have a capital account deficit, i.e. a trade surplus with the U.S. We’ll wait.
Pres. Trump has repeatedly said that if Hamas doesn’t disarm (Step 2 in the so-called peace process) they would be “eliminated.” So far that has not happened. Here too we are seeing “the other Trump.” Mr. Spencer’s article raises some crucial questions that I’ll summarize this way: What the hell is wrong with DJT?
To start with, he’s 79 years old. Cognitive decline certainly appears at that age or even much younger in everyone. We should not be surprised here. He’s only four years younger than Joe Biden.
Second, he has some serious grudges against the “deep state” which injured him deeply during his first term in office. Any human being would be embittered by the treatment he received from the legacy media and his own administration
So, your observation is a good one. It’s not what’s wrong with him. It’s the sum of these things and the natural effects of age. Also remember that he will certainly not be running for President in 2028. By that time, he will be 91 and in no shape to run again.
It should also be remembered that he and Joe Biden are the two oldest office-holders of the Presidency ever. Biden was certainly incapable of actually fulfilling the duties of the office. It may well be that DJ Trump might be incapable of properly holding office as well before the end of this term.
Trump’s acceptance of a $400 million bribe from Qatar, a nation that persecutes Christians, and funds terrorism, was an extraordinary betrayal of propriety, honor, and valor expected from our president. This should have been soundly excoriated by our Congress, and by ‘conservative’ media, but they have largely ‘lost their bearings’. Trump does some excellent things, but things like this cause GREAT concern.
The ‘Board of Peace’ is another Trump undertaking which seems outrageous, bizarre, and ‘what’s this got to do with ‘America First’?. I am waiting for well known people I respect to comment on this. I’m going to ‘go out on a limb’ and say it is an egregious offense to Israel to invite it’s enemies to have a say in what happens in Gaza. I am perplexed by the fatuous pretense that pouring billions of dollars into Gaza will eradicate the maniacal hatred the Gazans have for Israel. Is this endeavor purely a business proposition, an excuse to create a new ‘New World Order’, purely self-aggrandizement, or a serious venture to bring peace between Israel and the Gaza terrorists?
Perfectly stated.
I increasingly question and feel enormous confusion and unease about Trump’s apparent lack of clear thinking on matters of great import as you so clearly outlined. My trust in him has been seriously eroded. If he can align with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the jihadist running Syria among other evil actors in the Islamic world… if he can threaten Hamas and draw red lines in the sand only to have no follow through thereby emboldening them… if he can be this blind and stupid about the nature of Islam… if he can have people like the bumbling idiot Witkoff in charge of major negotiations in the ME… and so on and on, then I wonder who is this man, what are his values, what does he believe?
This second term is proving to be profoundly unnerving. And dangerous.
Great said! I agree with you 100%! Unspeakable and frustrating, to say the least. I hope Bibi wouldn’t allow this nonsense. Israel is a sovereign country. Doesn’t need any “Board or Pieces” from the enemies.
And I seriously doubt if most Gazans and Hamas lunatics could give two sh_ts about having resorts and/or casinos on their beaches.
The ‘other’ Trump, very well stated. All I see are headlines coming from this administration.
From whom does he get his marching orders?
That would answer all our questions.
So true! And so sad.
Very reminiscent of Eisenhower backstabbing Joseph McCarthy after becoming president.
The more you read about the Soviet infiltration of the FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, LBJ, and Carter administrations and accounts of Soviet agents explicitly undermining and influencing U.S. policy on Japan, China, Korea, Africa, and Eastern Europe…
…and the more you read about the Islamist infiltration of the Clinton, Bush Jr., Obama, Biden and even Trump administrations, and accounts of Islamist agents explicitly undermining and influencing U.S. policy on Israel, Iran, Qatar, and ISIS…
…the less it seems like incompetence or even willful ignorance.
Nothing to say it’s not both, and other factors as well.
Certainly hope P-DJT pulls a string of Maduro events in the Middle East…!
Israel has the opportunity to handle hamas by itself. Why have they stopped on the edge of victory? What are they afraid of? Can Israel exist without an American check? Apparently not.
Are their politicians getting checks from oman? Driving all of the moslems out of gaza into saudi arabia would fix everything. “It is illegal , immoral and fattening”! The horror! As long as Israel lacks the will to finish this off, it will be continuous repetition.
Tacitus as always is correct. Have Germany and Japan caused trouble in the past 85 years?
I see the kneejerk-off Trump haters, paper tiger idiots and armchair wannabe generals are out in full force today, particularly THX and Gabby the Longwinded are out in full force today. If we had you clowns advising FDR in WWII we’d all be speaking German and Japanese
So what would you like to see? Trump calling up the troops and sending them out to take care of biz in Syria, Iran and Minnesota/Somaliland. What a joke you guys would be with you war ninnies as his main advisors. Or maybe the two of you would like a complimentary AR-15 so you can go and show ’em who’s really boss. Remember, the business end of the rifle points toward the enemy, not at your big fat mouths.
“Yes sir Mr. Pres. Bomb them all….twice.” Thank God we actually have professionals instead of the FPM goober brigade advising Trump.
I definitely laughed thru my coffee on these posts
Well stated. It’s rather easy to be an arm chaired diplomat and general.
Especially when you have nothing to lose because you really can’t influence anyone in the Trump admin. There are lot of newly minted Trump haters disparaging Trump today
I notice the two loudmouths never respond when confronted with their own stupidity
Thanks, Sam
He as going to end the war on “day one.” This must be the longest day ever. Maybe he can ask General Mattis to once again be Secretary of Defense again, After Trump chose him the last time, he subsequently resigned and your hero said “he’s the most overrated general in history.”
Tell us: who chose Jerome Powell for the Fed?
Hmmm, what impact do you think tariffs have on that coffee you drink? Given your comments, I think maybe someone spiked it with some LSD.
So vote for a Democrat like Kemala again. How’d that work out for you?
Frankly, to me it’s not worth one drop of American blood or one penny of my tax dollars they can all kill each other all day long for all I care. If they want to throw off the yoke of oppression they can do so themselves. We did.
Dealing with Islamic politics by applying common sense and logic will continue to prove an insurmountable challenge for the west.
Trump is a great deal maker. Strengths become weaknesses if they are not moored in good principles
Did that bullet that almost killed him turn him a bit?
1:Young America did have help in throwing out the King. It came from France.
2: if Iran had a nuclear bomb and was about to be dethroned,
they would use it. They may still have dirty bombs to use. If they survive to build a nuclear arsenal and then were threatened with extinction, would they use it against the NE corridor launched from cargo ships two miles off shore? I certainly would if I were them. As would all of you, if you were them. It’s time to get rid of them before it’s too late.
I just read that Trump is moving warships close to Iran. It looks like he is preparing to make moves to support the uprising.
Make that 200 mikes offshore.
Syria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Gaza and Iran have been put on notice.
Cooperate and deliver good governance or pay the price.
Be patient my friends, DJT is.
Trump’s vision may be grandiose, but it seems he wants to turn Gaza into the new UAE. Given we can’t be rid of Islam, I think Trump is hoping they can be brought to turn from war and barbarism through luxury. It may be naive, but it could work.
1400 years of history and 270 million killed by Islam says you need to think again.
This time Trump is listening to his new set of advisors – bad ones – and there is no longer Mike Pompeo, David Friedman and others have insignificant roles now. This time it’s Qatar-First $$$ conflicted Kushner and Witkoff, plus a total capitulation to Tucker Carlson ‘s (and Vance’s) America-Only doctrine, which has resulted in a brainwashed Trump accepting whatever these bad advisors push for.
islam is the enemy of the Christian West – always has been and always will be. Nothing our weak politicians do to appease our enemy will change their behaviour; their tricks and deceits may change but their objectives remain the same as they were 1400 years ago.
In my opinion, it is preferable to have an enemy out in the open rather than hidden among us.
its interesting that the don started out ok , but he has now gone down the path of all his predecessors in regards to the barbarians , commonly known as muslims . probably been watching to much carlson and owens , obama and biden . its not going to end well .
NOT TRUE! ISIS never went away. It just went into hiding to regroup, just like all the jihadi groups do when facing a defeat. But they are never truly gone. As long as Islamic jihad exists, there will always be ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and more. They are all the same group, just under different names in different places, but they all share the same goal, given them by the same source, THE QURAN. To defeat them, we must acknowledge this and its source. We must start there.