Great leaders of the past faced times when it became necessary to calm fears and anxiety for the people they served.
George Washington encouraged colonial Americans to stand together through revolution. Winston Churchill rallied Britain against Nazi Germany. Franklin Roosevelt reassured a frightened nation during the Great Depression. Their words were meant to inspire courage, and restore confidence.
Donald Trump on the other hand, while speaking about the war with Iran and rising gasoline prices, recently encouraged an Iranian attack on Los Angeles and San Diego, saying that it would be a “small price to pay”. For him then, the prospect of U.S. cities being bombed with potentially thousands of innocent lives lost, is an acceptable exchange for ending the war. This from the person who has been entrusted with protecting American citizens.
The point I hoped to capture in this cartoon is that while true leaders would reassure, this U.S. president tells Americans that certain cities are expendable. He was speaking to his MAGA base, who in fact, CHEERED when he made the suggestion.
Leadership has never been about promising that sacrifice won’t be necessary. Washington, Churchill, and Roosevelt certainly understood that. But they also understood the importance of giving people something worth believing in, rather than casually dismissing the potential consequences of war.
To my MAGA friends who voted for Trump, I say that actually words DO matter. Particularly when they come from the commander in chief. History will remember his words.