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[Order Michael Finch’s new book, A Time to Stand: HERE. Prof. Jason Hill calls it “an aesthetic and political tour de force.”]
When President Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran deal in his first term, The New York Timespredicted catastrophe. Its editorial board wrote: “When it comes to the danger of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, there is no sign Iran or any of the other major powers in the existing and so far successful pact will simply fall in line with Mr. Trump’s notional new plan. More likely, his decision, announced on Tuesday, will allow Iran to resume a robust nuclear program, sour relations with close European allies, erode America’s credibility, lay conditions for a possible wider war in the Middle East …”
But now, seven years later, Trump, in his second term, successfully negotiated with Hamas for the release of the remaining living hostages and the bodies of others kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 Israelis and the taking of 250 others. The ceasefire, hopefully just the first step for a broader, more lasting peace, was agreed to by the leaders of Qatar and Turkey, where leaders of Hamas reportedly live. The leader of Egypt signed and the Gulf states, as well as Iran, supported the deal. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin praised it.
As for former President Joe Biden, he praised Trump by name, while claiming Trump’s deal stood on the foundation of a plan constructed during his administration: “The road to this deal was not easy. My Administration worked relentlessly to bring hostages home, get relief to Palestinian civilians, and end the war. … Now, with the backing of the United States and the world, the Middle East is on a path to peace that I hope endures and a future for Israelis and Palestinians alike with equal measures of peace, dignity, and safety.”
This is a statement from Biden, whose catastrophic pullout from Afghanistan emboldened America’s enemies, including Iran, the world’s leading exporter of terror and benefactor of Hamas. Trump said on many occasions that had he been in office, Oct. 7 “would never have happened.” There is good reason to agree with his assessment.
How did Trump pull this off? After all, Biden, his successor, racked up decades of foreign-policy experience. He spent 36 years in the Senate, with 12 years as the chair or ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
So, what happened? Simple. After Oct. 7, Trump battered Israel’s enemies — Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iran. Gaza has been leveled. Iran’s nuclear program was bombed, with the sanctions Trump imposed on Iran causing high unemployment and 40% annual inflation. This is what forced Hamas to the table.
Finally, to Trump’s many detractors, look at it this way: Years ago, I watched two professional golfers being interviewed on the Golf Channel. The interviewer asked, “What makes a good golfer?”
One golfer said, “I look at how he grips the club; where he places his feet, how he positions his shoulders; if he’s right-handed, whether he keeps his left arm locked as he swings; if he keeps his eyes squarely on the ball as he swings so he doesn’t hook or shank; the movement of his hips; whether he swings smoothly without a hitch …” He proceeded to give several more precise mechanical details.
The other golfer said, “I look where the ball lands.”
When it comes to Trump, detractors look at his swing: the insults, the bragging, the swagger, the ego, his tweets, his cockiness, his demeanor, his flippancy, and his various opinions on all manner of things that really don’t much matter. As the Trump-supporting Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) puts it, Trump does not have an “unexpressed thought.”
Supporters look where the ball lands: the economy; borders; eliminating DEI; SCOTUS judges; pro-life; foreign policy; school choice; combating urban crime; focused deportations; opposing biological men competing against biological women in sports, etc. And it looks like the man is having fun. It’s infectious. In the final analysis, isn’t this all that really matters? The rest of it is, pardon the expression, white noise.
Whom do you think the enemies of the United States fear more — a president who calls “climate change” the “ultimate threat to humanity,” or a president who renames the Department of Defense the Department of War?
Trump deserved the Peace Prize far more them Obama did and he(Obama)should have his unearned Peace Prize Revoked
The Nobel Prize Committee should die a quiet, lonely death in obscurity. They still have power so long as we talk about them.
The peace prize is a joke and personally I hope he rejects it if they offer it to him in the future.
Butt Cancer Joe didn’t get shit from Hamas, much less any hostages. Or rather, his handlers didn’t. Hamass pissed all over them.
I look where the balls land and they’re definitely in President Trump’s pants, swinging left and right to smack down all his detractors and foreign foes. “Fore!!” Yeah, right in their sweaty foreheads. They’re all little bitty putters compared to him.
I hope Trump starts using “Butt Cancer Joe” from now on.
Helpful, much appreciated.
Larry you know what the American dream is and will always be as long as we the people keep an eye on the ball and get it on the green and into the cup.
Like we all confront professionally, it’s the results achieved that confirm the credibility of what we’ve said.
Where Trump is concerned, yes credit should be given for the hostages release. However, in order to achieve this goal, part of this agreement includes the release of many, murderous terrorists and hundreds of Hamas and Gazan participants who have caused Israelis harm. Not only that, it is also true that these terrorists are being released from Israeli prisons and dropped into Gaza, Judea-Samaria and Jerusalem.
For the families this is an extraordinary return of their loved ones, for the nation of Israel, to free these 20, many, many more innocent lives will be murdered.
Just like the negotiations for the previous return of Gilad Shalit from captivity, Israel released hundreds upon hundreds of terrorists and one of them was Yahya Sinwar the architect of October 7.
So to get Gilad Shalit returned, 1200 innocent lives were slaughtered and 251 were captured and taken into Gaza.
Trump’s negotiation guarantees innocent Israelis will be murdered in the future by these savages but you won’t hear any correlation between the two in the future. He takes the win and moves on.
Additionally, dropping terrorists in Judea and Samaria as well as Jerusalem is to have negotiated in sheer ignorance of the fundamental tenants of Islam and it won’t be his family members who die because of it.
Well intended but extending a trust in those for whom the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people is not a temporary fixation but it is a permanent dictate for Muslims within the Quran, renders his negotiations both myopic and extremely dangerous.
That’s the fine print of where the ball actually landed and from my Jewish eyes, this deal is NOT AT ALL what it’s been cracked up to be.and Trump won’t be sitting shiva when the murders by these terrorist animals happens again because of it!
There is nothing President Trump could do to make the haters like him. We have family that hate him and they can’t tell you why, they just hate him.
There is a qualitative difference between engaging in baseless hatred and in having rational discourse about Trump’s decisions.
Trump is not a neutral President in these particular negotiations and therefore he has a business-partisan involvement and interest..
One can appreciate much of what Trump is doing, however, as American citizens we have a responsibility to our country to be vigilant about his actions. The reasons behind some of his declarations and the fine print in this deal absolutely require us to examine it.
I suggest you reading:
Why Donald J. Trump ‘Will Not Allow Israel to Annex the West Bank’
It’s no coincidence after his meeting with reps from the Middle East.
September 30, 2025 by Hugh Fitzgerald
Enough said!