PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – Yes, Trump could win the contest with China once and for all. Donald Trump’s first term signaled a historic shift in U.S. policy toward China.
His strategic blend of economic pressure, unpredictability, sanctions and tariffs knocked Beijing off balance. It was a turning point: Washington moved from passive acceptance of China’s revisionist ambitions to assertive opposition.
China faces an array of challenges, making it vulnerable to the president-elect’s assertive tactics. If Trump can couple the blustery style of his first term with a more focused strategy and tighter discipline, the next four years are a golden opportunity to keep Beijing on the defensive and permanently transform the rivalry in America’s favor.
While Joe Biden maintained targeted pressure on Beijing, his emphasis on détente and escalation aversion gave China’s leader, Xi Jinping, the space he needed to deal with his challenges at home and expand abroad.
Trump’s second term could help America to win this strategic contest altogether.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories ending the week from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEFING – the PDB:
NATIONAL SECURITY
Why Trump wants Hegseth at defense. He seems to want a culture warrior to take on the military brass. There are bigger security issues.
NONSENSE – Facing a Trump purge of woke generals, Pentagon officials are not willing to publicly weigh in on the topic directly, but some say that removing a slew of admirals and generals would have serious impacts on missions and readiness.
Nuclear power for military bases will increase our national security. Donald Trump enacted pro-nuclear policies during his first term and has supported an “all-of-the-above” energy policy during the campaign.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Investigation into Chinese hacking reveals ‘broad and significant’ spying effort aimed at stealing information from Americans who work in government and politics, says FBI.
When Daniel Penny fatally choked a violent homeless man last year, the 25-year-old Marine veteran appeared to be using a combat technique he learned in the Marines, according to the martial arts instructor who trained him.
Marine veteran gets time served for making ricin out of ‘curiosity’ after contacts with a Virginia militia. This, after a probe concluded he had no intent to harm others.
Biden’s escalation paralysis has devastated Ukraine. Bob Woodward’s new book “War” provides a harrowing glimpse into Team Biden’s failed national security decision making process.
Elon Musk says he and Trump have ‘mandate to delete’ regulations. Ethics laws could limit Musk role.
Will Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency tackle the Pentagon?
Tracking Trump’s picks for his Cabinet and administration.
US POWER OVERSEAS
Watch CENTCOM forces execute an airstrike on a Houthi target in Yemen.
ARCTIC THREAT
Military leaders of Arctic NATO nations meet on how to counter growing Russian and Chinese threat in region. Among other things, the US and its allies need to increase the number of sensors, patrols and intelligence sharing.
IRAN THREAT/ISRAEL
WHY IS MUSK INVOLVED IN THIS?! – Elon Musk met with Iran’s UN ambassador, Iranian officials say, where he reportedly discussed ways to defuse tensions between the US and Iran.
Houthi arsenal shocks the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer. Iran-backed Houthi rebels are brandishing increasingly sophisticated weapons, including missiles that “can do things that are just amazing.”
CHINA THREAT
Trump set to deepen tech Cold War with China, expanding tech controls.
How China capitalized on US indifference in Latin America. Xi Jinping’s visit for summits and the inauguration of a port illustrates what some have called China’s economic marginalization of the U.S.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Photo shows North Korean heavy, long-range self-propelled artillery in Russia for its war in Ukraine.
A French military task force — “Champagne” — is wrapping up a mission training a whole new brigade of several thousand Ukrainian troops. They will be joining the fight against Russia armed with French-supplied tanks, artillery canons and other heavy weapons.
SPACE THREAT
New Pentagon report on UFOs includes hundreds of new incidents but no evidence of aliens.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
US ambassador says Mexico ‘closed the doors’ on security cooperation and denies its violence problem. He lashed out Wednesday at Mexico’s failure to accept aid in the fight against drug cartels.
EU approves first-ever funding for joint weapons, ammo procurement. The $317 million is for five joint defense-procurement projects by member states.
US MILITARY
SOCOM looking for ‘multidomain’ micro drones that can operate in the air and underwater.
Watch ‘Bolt-M’ drone shred a truck during an autonomous strike.
Military suicides rose in 2023, continuing a troubling trend over more than a decade.
END of PDB
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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“win the contest with China once and for all?”
I’ll be shocked if Trump doesn’t get us into a war with China within three years, OR hand over Taiwan to them without firing a shot, or both. Either way, it’ll be a disaster for the U.S.