At the Republican National Convention in July 1980, then-candidate Ronald Reagan boldly declared: “We know only too well that war comes not when the forces of freedom are strong, but when they are weak. It is then that tyrants are tempted.” 

President Reagan’s foreign policy was rooted in the idea that investing in our national defense was key to not only contain communism, but to defeat it. Under the Reagan Doctrine, America embraced “peace through strength” – ultimately placing U.S. leadership at the forefront of democracy to preserve liberty and freedom for all. 

Now, more than 30 years later, a new axis of evil has emerged among Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea to test American resolve. It’s more important than ever for the United States to embody peace through strength on the world stage as a matter of national security. 

Unfortunately, despite growing allegiances among America’s toughest adversaries, Joe Biden has repeatedly chosen appeasement over deterrence. Time after time, this administration has elected to bend the knee to foreign threats at the American people’s expense. 

Look no further than the Biden administration’s disastrous and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan which resulted in the tragic death of 13 American servicemembers. Joe Biden sent a message to the world that the United States would abandon our own citizens and our closest allies in a botched military action. What’s worse, we set a precedent that the U.S. could not be counted on in times of emergency. 

While the decay of peace through strength has intensified under Joe Biden, this toxic appeasement strategy didn’t start under this administration. Barack Obama too sat back and watched while Russian President Vladimir Putin took influence in Syria, expanding power in the Middle East to a scope not seen since the 1970s. 

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) would love nothing more than to destroy American leadership and sever our alliances to expand their authoritarian influence around the globe. North Korea is upping their military exercises and test launches as they grow their nuclear arsenal. Iranian forces are working overtime to escalate nuclear capabilities while financing brutal terrorist regimes. Russia is looking to overtake Ukraine, reestablish the Soviet bloc, and expand malign influence operations around the world. 

Make no mistake: this new axis of evil is partnering to weaken America and facilitate their anti-western authoritarian autocratic takeover by any means necessary. 

President Reagan knew that in the absence of strong American leadership, there is chaos. Oklahomans aren’t afraid to call out the evil regimes around the world that threaten to destabilize a U.S.-led world order. Joe Biden must step up and do the same. 

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