I recently interviewed Alex Gray, a former National Security Council (NSC) official.
Gray believes that President Trump’s victory offers a "once-in-a-century opportunity" to dismantle long-standing institutions that have failed to adapt to modern challenges.
He believes this moment offers President Trump, and the Republicans, a chance to build a "working-class party," with broad public support, to implement sweeping reforms.
"The opportunity is enormous," Gray said.
"He has a mandate and buy-in. He could take a sledgehammer to these institutions."
In the interview, we discussed the failures and corruption of our national security establishment.
Gray told me that Washington, D.C. is dominated by a "permanent class" of think tanks and defense industry professionals.
According to Gray, these groups wield significant power in the nation's capital and advocate for the use of military force regardless of circumstances.
Gray has been very critical of this “permanent class” precisely because he supports of "Peace Through Strength" foreign policy.
Last year, Mr. Gray wrote, "The disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have fractured public trust in the United States’ foreign policy elites.
"The conflicts also exposed that many of those elites are disconnected from the concerns of average Americans, apathetic about the impact of their policy choices on those who must pay for them (physically and financially), and too eager to impugn the motives of those who question utopian foreign policies."
Gray believes our country needs new leaders who will challenge the Washington establishment. Gray believes that Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, and Kash Patel as "outsiders with insider experience" could bring a fresh approach to entrenched issues.
Gray also stressed the importance of Schedule F reforms, which would give the president greater control over policymaking within the federal workforce.
"They must have the confidence of the president," he said.
In his first term, President Trump had several appointees who Gray described as "creatures of the establishment."
An appreciable number of them undermined his agenda in office and/or became harsh critics of the president after their government service ended.
Gray also argued that individuals who mislead the public should lose their clearances.
Our country needs our intelligence professionals to be nonpartisan.
According to a Joint Interim Report by the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, and Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, "51 former intelligence officials coordinated with the Biden campaign to discredit serious allegations about Biden family influence peddling."
We also discussed several hot spots in the world.
Ukraine-Russia War: In a recent Fox News appearance, Alex Gray pointed out that President Putin has been "changing his tune." Gray believes President Trump can pressure Putin to negotiate a deal to end the war.
China: Gray believes China is the greatest existential threat to the United States. He argued that Xi Jinping’s ideology of the "Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation" drives Beijing’s policies.
Gray warned that the U.S. must prepare for the possibility of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, which he believes will be motivated by political and operational considerations and not by economic pressures.
Alex Gray wrote about the China threat and China’s enablers in the United States, "When U.S. politicians of both parties permitted China into the World Trade Organization in 2000, they opened American markets to uncontrolled Chinese competition, intellectual property theft, and other forms of economic warfare.
"While millions of Americans have lost their jobs and our manufacturing sector has been decimated, elites in Washington, Wall Street, and Hollywood have made fortunes working hand-in-hand with the Chinese Communist Party.
"It is these Americans, who have gained financially from their ties to China, who work diligently to ensure that the United States remains passive in the face of the threat from Beijing."
Israel: On Dec. 19, 2023, Gray co-signed a letter, with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, members of Congress, including incoming National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and several other national security officials, in support of Israel.
They said, "All of us believe that Israel’s victory in its war to eradicate Hamas and other terrorist proxies of the Islamic Republic of Iran is critical for Middle East peace and stability.
"Moreover, Israel is at the vanguard of a global battle to defend and protect the values that define Western civilization.
"As such, the success of Israel’s efforts is vital to the interests of the United States and all other countries that cherish life and liberty."
In December, Gray told me that the Trump administration will allow Israeli officials to win this war. Hopefully, this new agreement will last long enough to free the remaining hostages. This conflict could eventually continue until Hamas is totally defeated.
Benjamin Franklin once said, "Diligence is the mother of good luck."
This quote explains and clearly defines President Trump’s 2024 victory and hopefully his second term.
Robert Zapesochny is a researcher and writer whose work focuses on foreign affairs, national security and presidential history. He has been published in numerous outlets, including The American Spectator, the Washington Times, and The American Conservative. When he's not writing, Robert works for a medical research company in New York. Read Robert Zapesochny's Reports — More Here.
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