It’s revealing to compare Trump’s foreign policy during his first term to that of his second term. From Jack Hunter at theamericanconservative.com:
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, Donald Trump and Rand Paul were aligned on foreign policy.
On Wednesday, Senator Lindsey Graham wished Senator Rand Paul a happy birthday.
“To Senator (Rand Paul), Happy Birthday!” Graham posted on X. “I hope today is full of family, friends and good cheer.”
The South Carolina Republican added, “Oh by the way, as a birthday present we have seized yet another oil tanker trying to transport sanctioned Venezuelan oil. I hear Russia isn’t too happy.”
“Next year to celebrate, maybe we can do a golf outing to Venezuela and Cuba!” he added. “Should be good to go by then.”
He was celebrating Donald Trump’s military actions in and around Venezuela, including cashiering the nation’s President Nicolas Maduro and potentially changing the entire regime—something Graham wants to see replicated in Cuba.
The birthday boy responded.
“Thanks for the B-day greetings (Lindsey Graham),” Paul replied. “Replacing one socialist with another in Venezuela doesn’t bode well for golf though. Luxuries like golf flourish only under capitalism.”
Paul was referring to Venezuela’s new interim president, the hardline socialist Delcy Rodriguez, a key ally of the ousted Maduro.
Paul has long been outspoken against regime-change wars and the need for congressional approval for the U.S. to go to war, and has warned about the long-term, negative, unforeseen effects and results of war.
Trump now goes to war without Congress specifically to change regimes and doesn’t seem worried about the aftermath. Graham absolutely loves this, and seems almost orgasmic over the prospects of a war in Cuba, which he might get.
It wasn’t always this way.
Like that George Orwell quote about all the ones so hot for WAR won’t be doing the fighting.