Every Friday morning, I join the Cardle & Woolley Show on 1370 Talk Radio in Austin to announce the week’s Winners & Losers. There is absolutely no debate that President Donald J. Trump is a world-class winner this week. Here’s the list:
WINNER: Trump Should Get the Nobel Peace Prize
American presidents have been trying to rein in the theocracy in Iran for the last 40 years, using all kinds of threats, sanctions, sticks and carrots in an effort to get Iranians to stop developing a nuclear weapon. Last weekend, President Trump finally said, “Times up,” when it was clear Iran had no intention of backing down. In a massive display of American might—those B-2 bombers had never been in battle before—he blasted their program out of existence, ensuring that the largest state sponsor of terrorism no longer has the ability to develop a nuclear bomb.
He did so while expressing no malice toward Iran—urging them to focus on trade and building their economy instead of their jihad against Jews. At the same time, he was unequivocal that the United States will never abandon our commitment to Israel.
Trump’s F-Bomb statement—that Iran and Israel had been fighting so hard for so long that they don’t know what the f*** they are doing, —” not only succinctly describes how most of the world views the Middle East, it also made it crystal clear that he had no intention of joining that fight.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, called Trump’s action “a shot in the arm for American credibility.” Rice served under George W. Bush, one of Trump’s harshest critics. The shift Rice saw in American credibility was immediately apparent in the NATO Summit this week, where every country in Europe except Spain finally agreed to substantially increase what they pay for their defense, no longer forcing the U.S. to cover most of the costs. This was a goal Trump set during his first term, but no one believed he had any hope of succeeding. Now he has.
What happened to Iran sends a strong message to Russia and China about America’s strength and the principles that make up the Trump doctrine. “Kill all the Jews” can’t be anyone’s national mission statement, but his simple pleas to Iranian leaders to open some markets, make some money and “give peace a chance” has a whole new meaning in our current times.
Granted, the ceasefire may not hold, and Trump’s additional effort to end the fighting in Gaza may not be successful, but no world leader has pushed for world peace harder than Trump—in the Middle East, in Ukraine, in Asia. His name has repeatedly been floated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Whether he receives it has nothing to do with merit, of course, like getting all A’s at Harvard.
President Barack Obama received the Peace Prize in 2009, but it’s not exactly clear why. According to the Nobel Committee’s press release, Obama wanted to turn over international negotiations to the United Nations and embrace the fight against climate change—plus he was a big star who gave people hope. Trump’s record in just the last 10 days outshines that, but as I said, peace prizes aren’t awarded on merit.
WINNERS: John Fetterman and the 128 Democrats Who Voted Against Impeaching Trump
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania, continues to demonstrate statesmanship, this time by supporting President Trump for bombing Iran and saluting the U.S. military for their specular execution of the bombing mission. In the U.S. House, 128 Democrats voted with Republicans this week to table a resolution by Texas Congressman Al Green, D-Houston to impeach the president. Green insisted that Trump had dragged America into a war.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, R-N.Y., and Democrat Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-California, voted with the Republicans. Just 79 Democrats voted to move forward with the impeachment.
WINNER: Wesley Hunt and Robert E. Lee
U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas is certainly not the first guy to clearly explain why place names and statues of former Confederates and slave holders should not be removed, but his appearance on the left-leaning HBO show, Real Time with Bill Maher put his powerful argument in front of a new audience.
Hunt was asked if he supported re-naming Fort Lee in New Jersey from Fort Greg Adams—the name Biden gave it. Hunt, who is African American, said that when he attended West Point, he actually lived in the Robert E. Lee Barracks and every day as he walked through the portico, he noted that “we live in a hell of a country,” where somebody like him could live in a building named for a Confederate general and distinguish himself as a West Point graduate.
Hunt said, “I do not want to take down these statues and change the names of these buildings because they’re a reminder of what was. And if we don’t remember it, we are doomed to repeat it.” You can watch it here on the tape.
LOSER: Tucker Carlson Two Weeks in a Row
Hopefully, President Trump’s taking out Iran’s nuclear facilities seriously damages Tucker Carlson’s credibility. Carlson spent the days in the lead-up to the attack insisting that World War III would erupt following the bombing.
As reports came in that Iran had directed a few missiles to the U.S. airbase in Qatar Carlson taped his reaction and posted it on X, saying:
“Ugh, this is just sad at every level.” He placed his hand over his heart and charged that Fox News had pushed President Trump to attack, insisting they would have to give an account on Judgment Day for their deeds.
Carlson also predicted that America’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facility was a “betrayal of Trump’s supporters,” and would “end Trump’s presidency.” Finally, he said that after the American strike, Iran could easily kill thousands of Americans, collapse our economy and push the price of gas to $30 a gallon.
Carlson will also be called to account on Judgment Day. He has now learned that he is not the leader of the America First movement—President Trump is. His huge misstep should remind his followers that what appears to animate Carlson most is his hatred of Israel.
LOSER: Big Apple’s Democrat Primary
For those who needed comic relief this week, we had the Democrat primary victory of mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in the New York City Democrat primary election. Providing proof that there can be justice in our times, Mamdani trounced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose actions resulted in the deaths of hundreds of elderly people during COVID-19 and who was forced to leave office because of sexual harassment allegations.
But Cuomo’s defeat is the only good thing about Mamdani’s victory. He’s an unapologetic anti-Semite who wants to “globalize the intifada.” Like lots of socialists who want to raise our taxes, he has wealthy parents—his father is a professor at Columbia and his mother is a filmmaker—whose own work history is thin. He worked on one of his Mom’s movies and was a rapper before he was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, where he earns $142,000 annually. He has promised to defund the police because they are “anti-gay and racist” and says he will create state owned grocery stores and make all bus rides free. Even in New York, this is laughable, which is why I am happy to remind everyone that the only relevant question in politics is “compared to what?”
In November, voters will be able to compare Mamdani to current New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who will be on the ballot as an Independent, and Curtis Sliwa (the founder of the volunteer group, the Guardian Angels, which fights street crime). He’s running as a Republican. And Cuomo will still be an option for voters. The former governor lost the Democrat Party nomination, but they have all kinds of “party lines” in New York. He can just pick another one and run on it.
WINNER: Drill Baby Drill
The Dept. of the Interior reported this week that the Trump administration has reversed former President Biden’s edicts against drilling on federal lands and drilling permits are running 44% ahead of where they were under Biden at this point in his administration.
As we have reported previously, Americans increasingly support the expanded production and development of fossil fuel energy sources. This is good for the country and good for Texas.
LOSER: Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett
I worry that I am partly responsible for increasing U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas profile because she has been on the Loser List for months. Somehow, she always manages to make the cut. In response to Trump’s bombing of Iraq this week, she said that she understands the Constitution and knows that she is the one who should make the decision, or at least get a vote.
Well, no. Here’s what Crockett doesn’t understand about the Constitution and the President’s authority to take military action.
Apparently, it is not just those of us on the right who have had it with Crockett. This week she dropped her bid to become a member of House Oversite Committee when she came in fourth in a four-person contest. The House Democrat Caucus gave her a clear thumbs down.
WINNER: Alamo Beer Becomes a Reality
San Antonio’s Alamo Beer Company announced this week that Alamo Beer, which was featured for years on the cartoon sit com, “King of the Hill,” could soon be available in a refrigerator near you. It’s supposed to be released in Texas first, before it goes national, so watch for it.
WINNER: Oklahoma City Pulls it Off and Texas State Looks West
We will never know what might have happened if Tyrese Haliburton had not gone down with a torn Achilles early in game 7 of the NBA finals. But the Thunder got the big trophy in the final battle featuring teams from two of the smallest markets in the NBA.
Meanwhile there was news this morning that on Monday Texas State University will accept an offer to join the PAC 12 as the former West Coast conference undergoes a complete re-alignment. The New York Times reports this is a big win for the PAC 12, which desperately needs to get into the Texas football market. It doesn’t seem to matter to most people anymore, but for those of us who keep score, the new PAC 12 includes nine teams, only half of which are located near the Pacific Ocean.
What are you gonna do? Have a great weekend.
Sherry Sylvester is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and the former Senior Advisor to Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick.
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