Retired Gen. Jack Keane cut through the noise on Special Report, reminding Americans that Vladimir Putin has not surrendered his imperial ambitions and that the world cannot pretend otherwise. Keane warned that Russia’s appetite for territory and influence remains intact, and he framed the situation as one that requires clarity and strength from U.S. policymakers.
Keane also used the opportunity to highlight the National Guard’s critical role in protecting American cities — a welcome reminder that when law and order breaks down, citizens depend on disciplined, competent troops and commanders to restore safety. Conservatives should applaud the Guard serving on our streets, doing the hard, unglamorous work of keeping neighborhoods secure while politicians point fingers.
The need for a strong domestic response was underscored by the shocking ambush of two National Guardsmen in downtown Washington, D.C., a targeted attack that left the troops critically wounded and the nation rightly on edge. The shooting has already prompted additional deployments and a swift response from federal authorities, proving once again that talk is cheap and readiness matters.
President Trump moved quickly to bolster security by ordering more guard troops to the capital, a decision that infuriated the usual chorus of critics but reassured hardworking Americans who want visible protection where it’s needed. That deployment — and the legal fights surrounding it — exposes the double standard in our politics: the same people who denounce a deployed Guard when it restores order are silent when crime climbs under their watch.
Keane’s foreign-policy point was equally blunt: any serious effort to broker a deal between Russia and Ukraine must account for Putin’s unrelenting aims and must never reward aggression with legitimacy. He argued, in essence, that peace built on capitulation is not peace at all, and that American strategy should focus on depriving tyrants of the gains they seek rather than negotiating them away.
If Americans want real security — at home and abroad — they need leaders willing to secure the border, vet entrants properly, and stand firm against hostile regimes. The suspect in the D.C. attack’s background has already raised legitimate questions about vetting and the consequences of lax policy; we cannot ignore those hard lessons while we posture.
This is the moment for conservatives to press for clarity: fund the Guard properly, back commanders who protect our streets, and demand a foreign policy that recognizes evil when it appears. Gen. Keane reminded viewers that muddled weakness only invites more aggression, and patriotic Americans should insist on a plan that protects citizens and supports allies without apologizing for strength.
