Former National Security Council Chief of Staff Alex Gray sat down with Hannity on November 24 to lay out a blunt, unapologetic case for putting American safety first — and he didn’t mince words about where Washington’s priorities should land. Gray reminded viewers that whoever leads must focus on the fights that actually threaten American lives and prosperity, not endless virtue-signaling abroad.
Gray’s message is a welcome dose of realism after years of feckless foreign policy decisions that left our southern border and streets flooded with fentanyl and cartel violence. He reinforced the sensible conservative view that policies must produce concrete results for hardworking Americans, and that strategy should be judged by whether it protects families and communities back home. The kind of steady, focused leadership Gray describes is exactly what voters expect from a commander-in-chief who puts America first.
On the ground, that approach is already producing results and shaking bad actors in the hemisphere. The administration has escalated a targeted campaign against maritime narco-trafficking with strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels and a major naval deployment, including an aircraft carrier strike group sent to the Caribbean to cut supply routes and choke cartel revenue. Those moves show Washington is finally willing to use decisive military power where it matters rather than offering empty condemnations.
Critics will howl about legality and escalation, but the reality is simple: the cartels and the corrupt elements in Caracas have long profited from chaos and weakness. The administration has publicly tied some strikes to criminal gangs like Tren de Aragua and even signaled willingness to open back-channel discussions with Maduro while keeping pressure on — a savvy mix of diplomacy and force that unsettles the traffickers and their enablers. If Americans want borders and streets that are safer, they should support strategies that disrupt the cash flows and command structures sustaining these criminal networks.
Gray also warned of a “surprising wildcard” in the Venezuelan equation: a combination of unconventional tools — from precision strikes and legal designations to regional partnerships and covert action — that can be brought to bear to isolate and degrade threats without tying the U.S. down in endless nation-building. That kind of asymmetric thinking is exactly what conservative national-security professionals have been arguing for: use every lawful instrument of power to protect Americans, then bring diplomacy to the table from strength. It’s creative, effective, and far preferable to the hollow multilateral posturing we’ve seen from the left.
Meanwhile, the media and the political left continue their predictable tantrums over robust action, preferring sound bites to safety. Conservatives should call that what it is: an elite indulgence that sacrifices ordinary Americans to preserve a narrative about American decline. We deserve leaders who will act decisively, defend our borders, and stop pretending that weak talk will deter ruthless criminals and hostile regimes.
If Washington is serious about protecting Americans, Congress should step up and give responsible backing to a coherent strategy that clamps down on the narco-networks and the kleptocrats who profit from them. Support for disciplined, America-first foreign policy — the kind Alex Gray laid out on Hannity — isn’t warmongering; it’s patriotism: defending our citizens, our economy, and our way of life against those who would profit from its destruction.
