President Donald Trump's recent diplomatic tour of the Middle East has garnered commendation from an unexpected quarterDemocrats.
His strategic engagements across three nations have not only resulted in significant policy declarations but have also secured investment commitments amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars.
Among those acknowledging Trump's efforts is Democratic Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, who serves as the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee. As reported by the Western Journal, Himes, speaking at Politicos Security Summit in Washington, expressed his reluctant admiration, stating, Ive got to tell you, I think the President has, in this last week or so, played the Middle East pretty darn well.
Himes highlighted that prior to Trump's intervention, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared poised for conflict with Iran. However, Trump's diplomatic overtures, in collaboration with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, have steered the region towards a more peaceful resolution.
Trump's approach to Iran was underscored by his remarks, Our task is to unify against the few agents of chaos and terror that are left. The biggest and most destructive of these forces is the regime in Iran. He further emphasized his willingness to negotiate, stating, I want to make a deal with Iran If Irans leadership rejects this olive branch and continues to attack their neighbors, then we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure.
In addition to his diplomatic maneuvers, Trump announced the lifting of sanctions against Syria, a move that Himes described as pretty good stuff. At the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh, Trump declared, I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness, a statement that was met with enthusiastic applause and a standing ovation from the audience, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
These sanctions, initially imposed in 2011, were a response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's alleged use of chemical weapons against his own people.
The impact of Trump's Middle East strategy has not gone unnoticed by former officials from the Obama and Biden administrations. According to Axios, Ben Rhodes, a former national security aide to President Barack Obama, expressed surprise on the Pod Save the World podcast, questioning why the current administration had not pursued similar actions. Rob Malley, who served in senior roles under both Obama and Biden, remarked on Trump's audacity, saying, Its hard not to be simultaneously terrified at the thought of the damage he can cause with such power, and awed by his willingness to brazenly shatter so many harmful taboos.
Beyond the diplomatic sphere, Trump's tour has yielded substantial economic benefits. Forbes has detailed the extensive investment deals secured during his visit, including $600 billion from Saudi Arabia and $1.2 trillion from Qatar, with the United Arab Emirates having already pledged $1.4 trillion prior to his arrival.
In light of these developments, even some Democrats are conceding that Trump's Middle East visit has been a notable success.
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