Congressman Cohen Calls Trump’s National Security Strategy “Disastrous”
The document “saves its harshest criticisms for our allies”
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), the House Ranking Member of the Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe, today went to the House floor to denounce the Trump administration’s recently published National Security Strategy. In his remarks, he said in part:
“At the end of last week, President Trump published his National Security Strategy. It could have been called his National Insecurity Strategy. To say it’s bad is an understatement. It’s disastrous.
“During Europe’s largest land war since World War II, the strategy saves its harshest criticisms for our allies, rather than Russia with war criminal Putin, who started the war. The document elevates a strongman leadership model over democratic values, something unheard of in America. It’s focused on spheres of influence and suggests the strongest person in the region gets to decide the rules. These are not American values.
“Previous National Security Strategies upheld America’s commitment to democracy and human rights, strengthened our alliances and countered powerful adversaries like Russia and China. This strategy abandons that tradition in favor of a narrow transactional approach.
“Notably, the word ‘corruption’ is absent from the entire strategy. It’s well known that global corruption fuels instability, weakens governments and its absence is extremely dangerous and allows bad actors to flourish. The National Security Strategy abandons our allies, our principles and the values that have guided American leadership for decades.”
See the entire speech here.
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