It's official: Trump Is the greatest world leader since Churchill

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Athe end of May 1940, with British troops in full-scale retreat to Dunkirk, and France about to fall, Winston Churchill, British prime minister for only two weeks at this point, faced the biggest decision of the war and of his life: Should he negotiate a peace settlement with “that man”?

This decision was made considerably more difficult by the fact that colleagues, led by esteemed Foreign Secretary Viscount Halifax, believed Britain must sue for peace. The pressure on Churchill was immense. Halifax and his supporters were men of prodigious knowledge, experience and eloquence. Their arguments were persuasive. These men were “experts.”

Thankfully for us all, Churchill rejected the advice of these experts. In a speech to members of the outer cabinet on May 28, he laid out his view on surrender, concluding the message with these now-immortal words: “If this long island story of ours is to end at last, let it end only when each one of us lies choking in his own blood upon the ground.”

Rejecting the counsel of Halifax and his panel of experts was one of the greatest acts of leadership Winston Churchill ever displayed.

Ultimately, leadership isn’t about IQ or eloquence. It isn’t about being great at managing a committee or leading like-minded people. It’s not being the loudest or toughest guy (or girl) in the room, or the most creative, talented or sophisticated.

Leadership is being able to see what others do not see, then helping others see what you see. It’s about having a clearly defined set of values and principles and defending them at any cost. Leadership takes all the facts, evidence and expert opinions, rationally distills and processes them, and makes informed, balanced, lawful and sound decisions that benefit the majority. Leadership is about recognizing untruths, threats and disreputable figures and policies. More than that, great leaders expose and confront lies, deceit and corruption, even when it means “choking in [your] own blood upon the ground.”

Leadership is about consistent, sacrificial service to a right and noble cause. Winston Churchill, one of history’s greatest leaders, embodied these characteristics.

And so does United States President Donald Trump.

In a world where admiring Donald Trump is widely considered a cardinal sin, such a statement sounds ridiculous. Some will accuse me of president-worship. But those who read to the end will see that this article is ultimately not about Donald Trump.

Think about it. Throughout the coronavirus crisis, while most leaders timidly deferred to the experts (activist scientists brandishing flawed models) and social influencers (the media), America’s president bravely critiqued and questioned. Mr. Trump hasn’t handled the crisis perfectly, but his initial instincts proved correct. He hasn’t been afraid to say “No” to the experts. Thanks almost solely to its president, America was one of the slowest to enter lockdown and is one of the fastest to come out.

Leadership means standing for principle and truth, even against massive opposition and no matter the consequences. Think about Mr. Trump’s willingness to defend traditional America, the Constitution and the rule of law, and American values against violent attacks by the radical left. He understands the radical left better than most people, even most conservatives. He sees truth and realities others simply do not. And where many tolerate lies and injustices, and shy away from confrontation, America’s president rolls up his sleeves and clenches his fists. He’s the only top leader in America willing to attack and expose the radical left!

Most leaders today use language that is vague and noncommittal, they hedge, ramble and obfuscate. Donald Trump nails his colors to the mast. He speaks the truth as he sees it, sometimes ineloquently and tactlessly, but always with candor and force, and with clarity of purpose. In Britain, trying to figure out where Prime Minister Boris Johnson stands on the lockdown is now a national pastime. My friends in America always know where their leader stands.

Leadership means inspiring followers through crisis by making them understand you believe in them. Where others treat citizens like children, banishing them to their rooms “for their own protection,” Donald Trump sees the American people as brave warriors. He says it often: “We have to be warriors. We can’t keep our country closed down for years. [W]e have to do something.” Who doesn’t love being called a warrior?

Like Churchill, Mr. Trump projects confidence and hope. Rather than focus on the past, he concentrates on the brighter days ahead. 

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