Badass Statecraft X

Operation Midnight Hammer marks President Trump's latest usage of Badass Statecraft. A quick and dirty count shows that he's employed Badass Statecraft at least IX times before, making this Badass Statecraft X.

Badass Statecraft

My Badassery as Statecraft post from back in November defined this particular superpower and described several examples, mostly from Trump 45.

Badass Statecraft is deterrence via rhetorical threats and/or clean applications of force. Badass Statecraft doesn't get America embroiled in ground warfare or extended wars. It often employs nothing more than a statement from President Trump. He uses Badass Statecraft for matters of war & peace, and also for economic and domestic affairs.

President Trump wields badassery as effectively as a Jedi knight wields a lightsaber.

The Magnificence of Midnight Hammer

America bombed Iran's nuke production sites on Saturday, dealing a crushing blow to the Ayatollah's evil aspirations. That achievement is only the first of many from this textbook example of Badass Statecraft.

• Denuked the Ayatollah: He's now a paper tiger. Absent the nuclear threat, his invincibility is gone. He's no longer an existential threat to his neighbors, including Israel & Saudi Arabia, nor to American security. Internally, the 80% of Iranians who hate theocratic rule now have an opportunity to rise up and overthrow it.

• Supreme Stealth: Badass Statecraft requires minimal cost to America and zero casualties. The supreme stealth of Midnight Hammer met that standard.

  • Sleight of hand: Two B-2s flew West and distracted the world. Seven B-2s flew East to drop the bombs.

  • Iran didn't know we were there till after we were gone. Hence, our pilots faced zero opposition.

• Surgical: No Collateral Damage

• Most successful American military operation since Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

• Deterrence Reborn: Russia & China must now recalibrate their malign plans given America's renewed deterrence. Further, their ally might still be able to provide them with oil, but won't be trading arms with them or serving as their proxy in the mideast.

• Built on the New Middle East: President Trump set the stage for this success with his recent trip to the Arabian Gulf. One surprising fruit from that trip was the establishment of relations with the new ruler of Syria, who now allows Israeli war planes to use Syrian airspace.

DJT's use of Badassery

Here is a quick and dirty list of ten examples of Badass Statecraft.

Trump 45

1. Putin didn't invade Ukraine.

2. Hamas didn't invade Israel.

3. The Taliban didn't harm American troops.

4. Mexico gave us a 28K soldier "border wall".

5. France dropped tax on American companies.

Trump 47

1. Reciprocal Tariffs

2. Chicken with China

3. Existential Harvard

4. Closed the Border: The President's clear statements about no longer tolerating illegal immigration led to the stunningly successful closing of our Southern Border. Of course, the heroic efforts of Tom Homan's ICE and Kristi Noem's DHS were also required for this success, but it all started with the President's badass statecraft.

5. Midnight Hammer