Posted Dec 12, 2021 by Michael L. Brown

Donald Trump’s greatest accomplishment as president may not have been the policies he enacted or the justices he appointed. Instead, as important as those accomplishments were and are, it is possible that the most important thing he did as president was to say to the political world, “I will not play your games. I am the champion of the people, not a member of the good old boys club.”

But now that he has broken the mold, thrown out the old rule book, and forged a new path of leadership, it will be best in 2024 for another conservative leader with backbone and conviction to take the lead. Trump simply brings too much collateral damage with him (and, I remind you, I voted for him in 2016 and 2020).

What prompts me to write this now is the latest reminder of the negative baggage that came along with Trump, this time in the form of two interviews he conducted with Israeli journalist Barak Ravid for his new book, Trump’s Peace: The Abraham Accords and the Reshaping of the Middle East.

As reported in the Jerusalem Post, in April of this year, Trump explained to Ravid that he had not spoken to former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since Netanyahu called President Biden to congratulate him after his election.

As quoted in the book, Trump said, “I haven't spoken with him since [he congratulated Joe Biden]. [Expletive] him.”

Trump also said to Ravid, “The first person that congratulated [Biden] was Bibi Netanyahu, the man that I did more for than any other person I dealt with. Bibi could have stayed quiet. He has made a terrible mistake.

“I liked Bibi. I still like Bibi. But I also like loyalty. The first person to congratulate Biden was Bibi. And not only did he congratulate him, he did it on tape.”

This is the same man who threw Vice President Mike Pence under the bus on January 6. Is it any surprise that he also ditched Bibi?

In reality, as noted by the Post, “Though Netanyahu was the first leader in the Middle East to pick up the phone to Washington, journalists were quick to note that Netanyahu was actually not one of the first people to give Biden a congratulatory call. In fact, he made the call nearly a month after Biden’s election, after calls had already come in from the leaders of France, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland.”

Yet, according to Ravid, during the two interviews Trump granted him, one lasting 90 minutes, he brought up Netanyahu’s call to Biden 5 times. Talk about letting something stick in your craw. Talk about not letting it go.

But are we really surprised? (Note also that this story has been all over the news for several days now, and I have seen no report from Trump denying the quotes.)

So, in Trump’s view, despite the presence of a new administration in the White House, Netanyahu should not have reached out to Biden. The election was stolen, plain and simple, and even though Israel would be dealing with Biden, not Trump, in the days to come, Israel had no business congratulating him.

Put another way, loyalty to Trump mattered more than the strength of Israel’s relationship with America.

Put another way still, Netanyahu should have said to the people of Israel, the ones who put him in office, “I’m really sorry, but I cannot congratulate the new president of the United States. If I do so, that will hurt my friend Donald Trump, who has done so much for our country. So, I’ll sacrifice our well-being in the present and not deal with our most important ally, since I don’t want to upset the man who is no longer in the White House.” Seriously?

But this is hardly an isolated incident. Trump continues to make acknowledgement of the allegedly stolen election a litmus test.

As he said at a rally in Iowa in October, “The single biggest issue — the issue that gets the most pull, the most respect, the biggest cheers — is talking about the election fraud of 2020’s presidential election.”

But this is not the primary political battle we need to be fighting now, even if you feel 100 percent sure the election was stolen.

The primary political battle is to get the right people in office, first in the midterms, then in 2024, all while continuing to push for election integrity on every front. (For the record, our electoral system seemed to work pretty well last month, didn’t it?)

And we certainly don’t need to reelect someone who will make loyalty to him, demonstrated by the public affirmation that the election was stolen, to cloud his judgment as president.

To be sure, Trump can still be a force for good in many ways. And he can help support worthy candidates, using the massive influence he still wields.

But if he remains the same man who trashed quite a few good people over the years, then we don’t need him back in the White House.

Surely there are others who can step forward and do a good job, especially when Trump has demonstrated that tens of millions of Americans want a strong leader who will not cave in once he or she gets to Washington.

Trump has set a bold, “tell it like it is” model that others can follow. But he is not the only man who can effectively lead America. And without question, it is possible to be a decisive, powerful leader without burning so many bridges, burying so many relationships, and alienating so many people along the way.

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Comments

OT posted a comment · Oct 17, 2022
Skwh310 is the definition of bigotry: [noun] obstinate or intolerant devotion to one's own opinions and prejudices : the state of mind of a bigot. in his devout pursuit of his orange monster delusions! Calling people MAGA otts ___________________________ Swkh310 posted a comment · Dec 13, 2021 "Tell it like it is"? Tell WHAT like it is? The deranged demagogue is a pathological, congenital, compulsive liar. To paraphrase Dorothy Parker, "Every word that comes out of his mouth is a lie, including 'and' and 'the'." The creature's lies are well documented, fact-checked, and cross referenced just in case there is even one single MAGA-ott who has the courage to face the truth.
OT posted a comment · Oct 17, 2022
____ Skwh310 is the definition of bigotry: [noun] obstinate or intolerant devotion to one's own opinions and prejudices : the state of mind of a bigot. in his devout pursuit of his orange monster delusions! Calling people MAGA otts ___________________________ Swkh310 posted a comment · Dec 13, 2021 "Tell it like it is"? Tell WHAT like it is? The deranged demagogue is a pathological, congenital, compulsive liar. To paraphrase Dorothy Parker, "Every word that comes out of his mouth is a lie, including 'and' and 'the'." The creature's lies are well documented, fact-checked, and cross referenced just in case there is even one single MAGA-ott who has the courage to face the truth.
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Americangentile posted a comment · Dec 21, 2021
From the staff of Trump: Joe Biden...."you're fired". Kamala Harris...."you're fired"....and Dr. Brown.....sorry..... but "you're fired" too for writing this.....LOL. ..... I mean really .....No one is ready to walk through the knocked down door.....except Trump.......unless they have the character and an actual NAME for the job----but there is no name mentioned here in this rather sad article... the TRUMP BRAND name is real, actual, and not over with yet (it's a presidential grade name too, I might add) .....now please cue up MONEY, MONEY, MONEY soundtrack!! ha!
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Americangentile posted a comment · Dec 21, 2021
Quoting Dr. Brown: "But now that he has broken the mold, thrown out the old rule book, and forged a new path of leadership, it will be best in 2024 for another conservative leader with backbone and conviction to take the lead." I'm not exactly sure it was worth your time to prepare this article except for getting some attention or promotion or clicks/likes, etc. Why bring this whole thing up if another candidate cannot (insert another name besides Donald Trump) be mentioned who brings real competition to Trump. At this point in time, Trump is very significant to the country because no one is coming forward with greater credentials for the job. I mean...just pick any kind of issue (abortion, the border, education, the economy) in terms of the current president.....as you do most of the time...that would have been better than this. This is simply a detour towards a former President who can actually lead and will lead this country much better than the loser who currently sits on Pennsylvania ave. This critical analysis is wasted without some commentary towards another presidential candidate who has better character than Trump.
OT posted a comment · Dec 21, 2021
Swkh310 posted a comment · Dec 13, 2021 "Tell it like it is"?
OT posted a comment · Dec 18, 2021
Dems show true colors ———————————— “Democratic Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said in interview on Friday that he regretted attending a communist award show last week.” No place for this in U.S.
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Berean posted a comment · Dec 18, 2021
I’d say you pretty much nailed, Dr Brown
OT posted a comment · Dec 17, 2021
Dorothy Parker supported the American Communist Party in 1934. “Losers “ Dorothy Parker was an outspoken advocate of left-wing causes.
OT posted a comment · Dec 17, 2021
The Truth you need to face is Trump won the election! Hillary lost ! You have demonstrated over and over democrats are sore losers! And for four years America watch the democrat tantrum....Biden the “fraud” had the help of ( demons ) ? Who else would back a baby killing president, sleepy joe! The festering congenital liar who talks like lost little old man! “This is the pandemic of the unvaccinated “ hey sleepy joe fully vaccinated can catch and spread covid get your facts straight! Follow the science joe! “Let’s go Brandon “
Swkh310 posted a comment · Dec 13, 2021
"Tell it like it is"? Tell WHAT like it is? The deranged demagogue is a pathological, congenital, compulsive liar. To paraphrase Dorothy Parker, "Every word that comes out of his mouth is a lie, including 'and' and 'the'." The creature's lies are well documented, fact-checked, and cross referenced just in case there is even one single MAGA-ott who has the courage to face the truth.
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SteveW posted a comment · Dec 13, 2021
You are mistaken Dr Brown. It was Pence and Netanayahu who threw Trump under the bus, not the other way around. They were both well aware that the 2020 election was stolen, but they both decided to do the expedient thing and bow to the deepstate. As Isaiah 59 says, "truth has fallen in the street", with virtually no one in public office these days having the courage to do the right thing as it is personally too costly for them. This is a sad indictment on the state of the nations today.
czarpaul posted a comment · Dec 12, 2021
Who though??? Right now Trump 2024 is looking great so the question is who?? We must offer alternatives not just say we can't have Trump. Perhaps Christians could help him with forgiveness and help him grow spiritually during these years. There IS time and with no other viable option stepping up maybe help him be more godly is the answer.
OT posted a comment · Dec 12, 2021
President Trump A horrifying orange meteorite seems likely to eviscerate Barack Obama’s policy legacy “Boom” who will undo Biden’s legacy of debacles incoherent policies ! No doubt a Republican! I hope