KT McFARLAND: Operation Epic Fury proves it is both America First and proudly MAGA
Operation Epic Fury has created an epic number of critics from across the political spectrum, including within the MAGA movement. They say it betrays President Donald Trump’s pledge to put America First and risks pulling the United States into a larger regional war. They argue that what happens in the Middle East does not matter to Americans and diverts attention from economic, security and cultural issues at home. They are wrong.
President Trump’s war against Iran is quintessentially America First. It aims to preempt Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
The Trump administration has stated time and again that the United States has three goals regarding the Iranian regime: to stop its nuclear weapons program, to stop its missile program and to stop its support of terrorist proxies. That’s what the Witkoff-Kushner negotiations were about. That is what drives Operation Epic Fury. The world’s most dangerous regime must not be allowed to have the world’s most dangerous weapons.
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The war with Iran is not primarily about freeing the Iranian people from a brutal dictatorship or forcing regime change. Those may be noble goals, but they are not essential to America’s national security.
What does pose an existential threat to the United States are Iran’s nuclear weapons and missile programs. A nuclear Iran would use the threat of nuclear weapons to blackmail the United States into doing its bidding. A nuclear Iran would ignite a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. The Iranian regime’s love affair with martyrdom could even lead it to launch those nuclear weapons against the United States and its allies.
These are direct threats to the very existence of the United States. If we fail to destroy Iran’s nuclear weapons program now, it is not a matter of whether Iran will "go nuclear"; it is only a matter of when. Iran has made its intentions clear — it will never negotiate away its nuclear program. If the United States bombs its development sites, Iran will rebuild again — and again.
Critics are quick to point out the risks in Operation Epic Fury; there are always risks in war. But there are also risks in doing nothing to stop Iran, with existential consequences for America.
The time to act is now, before Iran obtains nuclear weapons. Thanks to the careful and methodical steps President Trump has taken to weaken Iran militarily, economically and diplomatically, the Iranian regime is now at its most vulnerable point in history.
A good leader deals with crises as they arise. A wise leader prevents them. The war with Iran is a risk, but it is a calculated risk worth taking. Success will not come without sacrifice, but it will guarantee America’s security and prosperity for a generation.
Preventing Iran from developing nuclear-tipped intercontinental missiles capable of striking the United States is about as America First as it gets.
Operation Epic Fury is also MAGA-compliant. It will guarantee our prosperity, not just for today but for the future. It is the final piece of a strategy that consolidates America’s dominance over the global energy supply.
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Since the dawn of the industrial age more than 200 years ago, energy has been a key driver of manufacturing and technological advancement. Countries with access to coal, oil and natural gas became wealthy.
Energy will be an even greater factor in the coming information age. The world’s demand for energy is increasing rapidly to power the computers necessary for artificial intelligence.
Trump understands this. The country that leads in artificial intelligence will lead the world.
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He has taken the shackles off the American oil and gas industries. The United States now controls the rebuilding of Venezuela’s energy industry. It has significant influence over its energy-rich Gulf Arab allies. Iran would be the final piece of the puzzle, if the United States can help develop its oil resources.
Chinese President Xi Jinping understands this as well.
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China is one of the most energy-dependent countries in the world. It does not have significant domestic oil or natural gas reserves. Xi has worked for years to guarantee China’s access to cheap oil and natural gas. China has bought much of its oil at steep discounts from three sanctioned countries — Russia, Venezuela and Iran. This has been crucial to China’s manufacturing success and will be essential to its technological dominance in the information age.
If China no longer has access to discounted Venezuelan and Iranian oil, it will be at an enormous disadvantage in the years ahead. Even if it imports all of Russia’s energy capacity at a discount, it will still be forced to purchase market-priced oil and gas to make up for the loss. As President Trump said after the ouster of Maduro, if China wants to buy oil, it can buy it from America at market prices.
Some countries, including Venezuela, Iran and the Gulf Arab states, have oil and gas. Others, like China, have technological capability. But only the United States has both.
President Trump’s economic, trade and foreign policies are making America great again. To keep America great in the information age, the United States must dominate the global energy market. Success in Operation Epic Fury is essential to keeping America great.