Member Activities
View NSL4A on the Road
Additional Opinion Articles on Medium in

Trump will make North Carolinians' lives more expensive
(OpEd) Stephen Craven | Morganton The Paper
To The Editor: When I was born in Morganton in 1948, North Carolina was a deeply different place than it is today. We've gone from tobacco and textiles to tech and tourism. When I was born, we were legally segregated (I'm proud that my dad, a North Carolina judge named Brack Craven, helped put an end to that). Today we're a strongly diverse state. Yet what we value is consistent. We value our families, the outdoors, college basketball, and whether we can afford the essentials. We'd rather refrain from talking politics at the dinner table.
But that's only if we can afford to put food on that dinner table.

'STRENGTH LIES IN OUR ALLIANCES'
(OpEd) Ambassador Judith Cefkin | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Commentary: Trump's isolationism would make U.S., world dangerously unstable
As a Foreign Service officer, I served under Republican and Democratic presidents. Each brought their own priorities and areas of focus to U.S. foreign policy, but until the election of Donald Trump, the broader trend was one of continuity grounded in U.S. interests. Trump’s reelection would portend a world of growing instability where the U.S. is increasingly alone. We cannot afford that risk.

Trump, as president, could launch a nuclear strike. This should scare you.
(OpEd) Thomas Countryman and Alexander Vershbow | The Philadelphia Inquirer
In a challenging future environment, in which Russia and other adversaries scrutinize every move for signs of weakness or instability, Trump’s unpredictable behavior could erode the credibility of America’s nuclear deterrent. The erosion of trust in the United States’ commitment to responsible nuclear stewardship could unnerve our allies, embolden rival powers, and heighten risks of miscalculation and unintended escalation.

Determination, experience, wisdom — Joe Biden has it, Donald Trump does not
(OpEd) Tom Davis | Pittsburgh Tribune
Winston Churchill once noted that, “There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them.” It is among the many immediate misfortunes that the old Prime Minister is not around to give former president Trump a badly needed lesson in foreign policy.

The Risks Of Donald Trump 2.0 Foreign Policy
(OpEd) Ambassador Gordon Gray | National Security Journal
Because foreign policy challenges have only increased since the Bush 41 administration the United States cannot afford to reprise the four years of national security ineptitude that a second Trump administration would inflict. A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for renewed chaos and retreat.

I Led a U.S. Intelligence Agency. Trump Was Reckless With Classified Documents
(OpEd) Gregory F. Treverton | U.S. News & World Report
Trump’s mishandling of classified documents was not only clearly illegal, but in my view it should deny him the usual courtesy of access to classified documents that is given to all major party presidential candidates. In fact, I believe his flagrant mishandling of our national security secrets disqualifies him from being president again.

Donald Trump’s Dangerous Embrace Of Extremism Is A Threat To America
(OpEd) Julie Farnam | National Security Journal
Chaos, violence, inhumanity, and the degradation of the United States’ position in the world is all but guaranteed under another four years with Donald Trump as president. A vote for Trump in November is an endorsement of a man who is more focused on retribution and promoting extremist ideology than on making America great. Vote wisely.

Why Donald Trump’s Stance On Russia And NATO Is Wrong
(OpEd) Rear Admiral John D. Butler | National Security Journal
Donald Trump’s encouragement of Russian aggression against NATO allies, his praise for Putin’s invasions, his defense of Russia against U.S. intelligence findings, and his focus on personal power all point to a dangerous alignment with a foreign adversary. For the sake of America’s security and democratic integrity, it is imperative that voters recognize the risks posed by another Trump presidency.

Democrats Need to Focus on One Goal: Beating Donald Trump
(OpEd) Ambassador Michael Guest | The National Interest
Whoever the Democrats eventually nominate, those of us who care about our country’s democracy and well-being have one goal: to keep Donald Trump out of office.

Trump’s border policy: Speak loudly and carry no stick
(OpEd) Robert Kelly | Arizona Daily Star
Trump has strong opinions on border security and immigration. Unfortunately, they are almost entirely wrong. A staple of his approach to border security is “the wall.” As one of Trump’s heroes, General George S. Patton, once said, “Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man.”

American values on the line in 2024
(OpEd) Commander Dave Petri | Erie Daily Times
Supported by a political progeny of many Americans who historically challenged the declaration's vision and solemn promise, a second Donald Trump term, I believe, would marginalize, if not eradicate, the Founding Fathers' vision.

The Reaganesque candidate in 2024 isn’t a Republican
(OpEd) Sean O'Keefe | The Pittsburgh Tribune
Republicans like me, loyal to principles over individuals, are grateful to see Reaganesque qualities in a candidate running for president in 2024.
It would surprise and disappoint President Reagan, however, that it’s not the candidate on the GOP ticket.

Could NATO survive a second Trump administration?
(OpEd) Ambassador Steven Pifer | Brookings
The former US Ambassador to Ukraine and current non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institute provides his insights on how a second Trump administration could impact the NATO Alliance.

Those closest to Trump have provided ample warning
(OpEd) Rear Admiral John D. Butler | The Winchester Star
Trump’s former cabinet members — the people who worked most closely with him — are telling us that he’s unfit for duty and will steer us onto dangerous shoals. If he’s reelected, we can’t say that we weren’t warned.

A Strong America Abroad Means A Vote for Joe Biden
(OpEd) Ken Brill | The National Interest
The question before voters is, whose vision best reflects your values and interests and America’s tradition of democracy and international leadership? For those of us who believe America and its values remain the “last best hope for all mankind,” President Joe Biden is the clear choice.

Why Donald Trump made me angry on Memorial Day
(OpEd) Rear Admiral Tom Jurkowsky | Capital Gazette
If Trump ever wants to lead this country again as the commander-in-chief, he needs to obtain a sense of compassion, sympathy and humanitarian values — qualities any leader must possess.

The GOP wants to cut diplomacy as our enemies seek to replace us
(OpEd) Ken Brill | The Hill
Diplomacy should be America’s national security tool of first resort, but Republicans have a habit of treating it like a national security afterthought. Their fiscal 2025 budget proposals undermine America’s diplomatic readiness and capacity, to the detriment of our interests and the benefit of our opponents.

Donald Trump Doesn't Deserve to Be President
(OpEd) Neal Urwitz | The National Interest
The predictable reactions to Donald Trump's conviction for falsifying business records missed the crucial point: Trump's actions reflect poor character and impulsiveness, traits unsuitable for the presidency.

My dad was the first Black Michigander at West Point. I honor him on Memorial Day.
(OpEd) Elizabeth Davenport McKune | Detroit Free Press
Memorial Day celebrates those who gave their lives for this country and the values Americans hold as a nation: duty, honor, country — and civic responsibility. It follows, then, that the best way citizens can protect their rights is also the best way to honor those who sacrificed for the United States. It is to live up to the civic responsibility my father and so many like him fought for. It is to vote.

This Memorial Day, let us remember a shared commitment
(OpEd) Brigadier General Paul “Greg” Smith | Portland Press Herald
Many of my fallen brothers and sisters gave their lives in service to that oath in faraway lands. On May 27, I will offer my prayers for their eternal rest, and I will salute their service and sacrifice to our great nation. On Election Day, I will vote to keep faith with them and our shared commitment to the Constitution.