The Status Quo vs. The Alternative

Erick Erickson on Jan 23, 2026

The last two weeks have been, like the preceding weeks, nuts. The president insisted the United States must own Greenland and he would not rule out military force, if necessary, to take the island. He imposed tariffs on the NATO allies who oppose his territorial lust. Then he walked it all back for the framework of a deal.

The reality is, President Donald Trump has a knack for getting things he could have gotten without all the drama, but the drama is salesmanship for his base. They insist it is the art of the deal, he is the best negotiator and the deal is amazing. Most often, the president gets to claim success, which is nebulously defined. In this case, he will not get Greenland. He will get access to military bases we had access to but had withdrawn from.

As I regularly criticize the president for his drama and snapping turtle-like inability to let small things go, progressives often ask how I could want this as opposed to former Vice President Kamala Harris. What I rarely see from those people is criticism of the Democrats' excesses.

When I see the Attorney General of Minnesota defend the right of protestors to storm into a church and learn that a local prosecutor was one of the protestors who stormed into the church, I do not see prominent Democrats condemning the Attorney General, the local prosecutor, or demanding criminal action against the protestors for what they did.

When I see Donald Trump tell Iranian protestors to take to the streets of Tehran because help is on the way and the help does not come (at least yet), I think he is no worse than former President Barack Obama, but at least Trump killed Soleimani and eradicated Iran's nuclear program.

When I complain about Donald Trump's handling of the Ukraine situation, I remind myself that former President Joe Biden, for all his public talk, repeatedly restrained Ukraine's actions, but Trump let them use long-range missiles.

When I see Donald Trump lose the plot in foreign policy, I remind myself that Biden refused to allow Israel to pursue the eradication of Hamas or even do what it took to get their hostages back, many of whom were American citizens.

When I fret that the Trump administration may be overplaying its hand in dealing with narco-terrorists, I am reminded we are in this position because of Biden, a man the very Democrats who demand I denounce Trump gave cover to, a pass to and pretended he had no problems.

When I see Donald Trump going nuts over Greenland in ways that are detrimental to our alliances and trading partners, I'm reminded of Marine Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas; Marine Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sacramento, Calif.; Marine Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah; Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tenn.; Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, Calif., Marine Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyo.; Marine Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, Calif.; Marine Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Neb.; Marine Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Mass.; Marine Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Ind.; Marine Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Mo.; and Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio, all of whom were killed in Joe Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Did any Greenlanders fall out of airplanes today? No? Because Afghans suffered under Joe Biden's disastrous foreign policy excursion.

I'm happy to condemn, criticize and denounce Donald Trump when I think it is warranted and all the people who demand I apologize for voting for him or insist I admit Kamala Harris was better are silent on the excesses, abuses and insanities of the Democrats -- the people who cannot tell you if they think a man can become a woman and then get mad at you for asking the question right before they let teenage boys into teenage girls' locker rooms.

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