President Trump returned from his Asia trip this week having shown once again that America will not bow to bullies or bureaucratic appeasers, and he made clear the United States will restore the muscle our adversaries respect. The president’s warning that the U.S. may resume nuclear testing caught the attention of friend and foe alike, and it underscores a blunt message: deterrence matters and weakness invites aggression.
Ambassador Matthew Whitaker — now the U.S. envoy to NATO and a visible defender of American strength — reinforced that posture on Newsmax’s Saturday Report, backing policies that force allies to shoulder more of their own defense while reminding the world that America stands ready. Whitaker’s confirmation to NATO was a clear pick by this administration to put a tough, loyal conservative in a critical post and to push back on soft-on-defense orthodoxies in Washington.
Let’s be blunt: after more than three decades of a voluntary moratorium on explosive testing, the president’s order to restart the testing process — if other countries persist in testing — is not reckless, it is necessary insurance. Our enemies have been modernizing and cheating while elites at home wag their fingers and preach complacency; restoring a credible testing option levels the playing field and ensures our deterrent is believable.
Predictably, the left and the legacy press are scrambling to scare Americans into submission, calling bold moves “dangerous escalation” while refusing to explain how past timidity failed to stop the rise of hostile nuclear powers. Republicans know what history teaches: peace through strength, not lectures; and when a president shows he will act, adversaries hesitate — and that hesitation saves lives.
Whitaker’s message from NATO — that America must be strong and that allies must pay their fair share — is exactly the kind of unapologetic realism this troubled world needs. Instead of pleading with weak hands, we are rebuilding deterrence, modernizing our forces, and demanding partners step up, a strategy that protects American taxpayers and American blood alike.
Hardworking Americans should take pride in a president and a diplomatic team that refuse to surrender our security for empty platitudes. Backing strength at home and abroad isn’t warmongering; it’s patriotism, and it’s the only reliable path to lasting peace in an age of rivals who test boundaries.
