OPINION:
The trifecta facilitated by Donald Trump with the Republican presidency, Republican Senate and Republican House will reestablish the president-elect’s previous success of peace through strength.
In the conflict, we did not choose dictators with the rule of guns invading democracies with the rule of law; Mr. Trump courageously implemented policies of deterrence.
Before Russian Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, Mr. Trump had previously made every decision to save the lives of brave Ukrainians. As president, Mr. Trump provided Javelin missiles to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to destroy Russian tanks, he historically placed American troops in Poland, backed by Polish President Andrzej Duda, and he stopped the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was Mr. Putin’s financing of aggression.
Mr. Trump successfully challenged our NATO allies to meet their obligation to spend 2% of gross domestic product on defense. No longer would wealthy countries take advantage of Americans solely defending others. I was grateful at the Feb. 23 meeting with Mr. Trump, as I returned from Munich and Vienna conferences that day, that our allies are now reaching 2%, giving him credit for resolve deterring appeasement.
Oct. 7, 2023, saw the horrific, murderous invasion of Israel by Iran’s puppet Hamas, slaughtering over 1,200 innocent people, including 46 American citizens, and kidnapping hundreds — with seven Americans still captive. Mr. Trump is known as a reliable friend of Israel, and I know this firsthand as I led the House delegation of 10 members on May 14, 2018, to Israel for the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, fulfilling “Promises Made, Promises Kept,” despite State Department obstruction.
Under the Trump administration, there was never a delay in providing arms, and there were no conditions for use. The friendship between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. Trump will benefit all the Middle East.
The gruesome contrast of President Biden telling Israel not to destroy Iran’s maniacal nuclear threat as Mr. Trump calls for destroying the same capability confirms that Mr. Trump understands the murderous Tehran regime.
I also saw firsthand Mr. Trump’s success at the White House presenting the Abraham Accords in 2020, promoting peace and stability with Israel, Bahrain, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Sudan. With Mr. Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and U.N. Ambassador Elise Stefanik, America will reestablish our alliance with Saudi Arabia.
In the Indo-Pacific (Mr. Trump renamed PACOM to INDOPACOM, recognizing India), our allies know they can build their militaries to deter the Chinese Communist Party, which is conducting the largest peacetime military buildup in history.
I was in Houston on Sept. 22, 2019, when Mr. Trump welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with 50,000 Indian Americans enthusiastically cementing affection for America and India.
We know Mr. Trump will release defensive armaments for Taiwan, which have already been paid for by Taiwan. We know the Doha Agreement was conditions-based and violated by the Taliban, and Mr. Trump would never have surrendered Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. My youngest son Hunter was an engineer for a year in Afghanistan as Mr. Trump protected America from terrorist attacks.
As further proof of my appreciation of Mr. Trump, I am inviting the speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives, Martin Romualdez, to be my guest at the Trump inauguration. When I met with Mr. Romualdez in Manila in September, it was inspiring to see worldwide acknowledgment that Mr. Trump will restore peace through strength.
Much remains to be done, and I will continue to work hard every day to keep Americans safe, promote good-paying jobs and help strengthen our lives and communities.
• Joe Wilson represents South Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District.
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