U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin increased the paranoia about him to an all-time high. He was accused of "failing America," acting "disgracefully" and committing "high crimes and misdemeanors." Former CIA chief John Brennan called his performance "treasonous."
Trump certainly blundered when commenting on the similarity in behavior of Russian and American intelligence sources, which followed his outbursts at an earlier NATO meeting. Even Republican supporters were incredulous about some of his remarks to Putin.
Trump undeniably behaves like a buffoon with a penchant for vulgarity. He shoots from the hip, contradicts himself, and incessantly posts juvenile tweets.
He has made many errors, sometimes issuing policies with total disregard for the details, creating considerable chaos.
On the other hand, he has largely neutralized the disastrous impact of his predecessor, Barack Obama, who groveled to Iran while diminishing America's global influence.
Trump's presidency began with a call for "America first" that his enraged opponents likened to pre-World War ll fascism.
A review of the facts will help evaluate his overall performance.
The economy
Trump's policies have resulted in significant positive economic indicators and a sharp upturn in the stock market.
Immigration
Determined not to follow the disastrous example in Europe, Trump imposed strict limitations on Islamic migrants. Although introduced clumsily, Trump's decision will ultimately be recognized as wise.
China
After demanding a more balanced trade relationship and warning against ongoing theft of American technology, Trump stunned the world by imposing tariffs on $200 billion-worth of Chinese government-subsidized goods. China responded by imposing tariffs on American goods, accusing Trump of starting a trade war and breaching the terms of the World Trade Organization. Many believe that China will compromise on a fairer export policy and America's disastrous negative trade balance will be reversed.
Europe and NATO
Trump shocked the Europeans by questioning the value of NATO and its members' dependence on American largesse. He warned that Europe must shoulder the burden of its own defense, raising military spending from 2% to 4% of gross domestic product.
This created an upheaval, but they will deliver; Trump will be vindicated.
Iran
Trump has intensified the war on terror. He has broken with the Iranians and is in the process of imposing powerful sanctions, which could lead to regime change.
North Korea
Trump personally initiated direct top-level negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in an attempt to persuade him to denuclearize. The outcome is not assured but these negotiations are themselves an unprecedented achievement.
Russia
Authoritarian Russia is a far cry from the totalitarian Soviet Union.
Even if Russia meddled in the U.S. elections, few believe that it altered the outcome.
Despite their differences, Putin and Trump pledged to cooperate to combat terrorism. If Trump succeeds in easing tensions, avoiding a new Cold War and cooperating even to a limited degree, this too will be recognized as a significant achievement.
Israel
Trump's election has proved to be a gift to Israel.
Trump was the first American president to formally refer to Israel as an ally. He ended Obama's policy of moral equivocation between Israeli self-defense and Palestinian terrorism and refused to maintain the façade that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was a peaceful moderate. He also drastically cut U.S. aid to the Palestinians.
He has made it clear that the U.S. would not tolerate the Palestinian diversion of aid money to reward terrorists and their families.
The administration placed full blame on Hamas for the Gaza escalation of terror.
Envoy Nikki Haley aggressively defends Israel at the U.N. The U.S. also withdrew from the U.N. Human Rights Council, an organization dominated by anti-Israel tyrants and rogue states.
Despite howls of protest, Trump has fulfilled his electoral promise to move the U.S Embassy to Jerusalem.
Trump and Putin issued an unprecedented joint press statement following their recent meeting in which they explicitly proclaimed their commitment to "work together to ensure the security of Israel." Trump said, "I think that working with Israel is a great thing, and creating safety for Israel is something that both President Putin and I would like to see very much."
To sum up, Trump is clearly calling the shots and rearranging the existing global order.
For Israel, Trump has been like manna from heaven. That does not mean that we endorse all his actions, and we continue to squirm at his cruder outbursts.
Trump has gone a long way toward reversing the damage done by Obama. Most global leaders dislike but fear him. This has enabled him to deal positively with many international issues that have, until now, been ignored. His supporters can only hope that despite his erratic temperament, he stays the course.
While the Democrats are likely to win seats in the upcoming congressional elections, there are strong chances that Trump will be re-elected in 2020, especially if the current radicalization of the Democratic candidates is not reversed.
