Clamping Down on Iran

I read this morning that Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz are uniting to protest the nuclear deal with Iran, with a rally on Capitol Hill on Sept. 9.

It’s both unusual and impressive to see competing presidential candidates collaborate prior to an election. I think it emphasizes how critical this issue is not just to the U.S., but to the world.

Iran is poised to develop nuclear weapons, and we’ve done nothing to stand in their way. That should set all of us back in our seats.

This administration not only brokered a bad deal with Iran, it left four Americans hostages sitting in Iranian jails. I think it’s important to talk about them, not just collectively but individually, beginning with their names: Pastor Saeed; Amir Hekmati, a former Marine; Jason Rezaian, a journalist; and Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent. These are our fellow citizens. They have families. As part of any deal, we should be demanding their freedom and helping to bring them home.

That Trump and Cruz can put aside their egos and unite to elevate an issue of grave importance to the country is a demonstration of something we’ve not seen for almost seven years — LEADERSHIP. As different as the two men may seem, they are working together to get things done for the good of the country. Their focus is on doing the right thing for The People, not on winning a popularity contest.

Clamping down on countries and those who wish to harm us is the ultimate responsibility of the president and his administration. If they won’t do it, we need more leaders like Trump and Cruz who will.