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President Trump made a calculated, very America First decision to walk away from the failing Houthi campaign. He cut losses, defied the Pentagon, and even pushed back on Israeli expectations. The type of ballsy moves past presidents wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. But don’t be fooled; this wasn’t weakness. It was strategic strength from a leader who isn’t interested in long, drawn-out failures.
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For decades, The Swamp has operated on autopilot when it comes to the Middle East: launch, escalate, and stay the course, no matter the cost or the outcome. President Trump broke that mold. When he was faced with a faltering military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, he didn’t do what every other US President has done – double down or spin the story just to save face – he pulled the plug.
Unlike his predecessors, Trump didn’t let pride, politics, or pressure from defense contractors and foreign countries dictate what the mission would be. He looked at the facts: one month in, no air superiority, no end in sight, and a billion dollars already spent.
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Instead of sinking more time, possible deaths, and taxpayer money into a losing fight, he chose the off-ramp. Exit stage right…
The militant group in Yemen was still firing at ships and shooting down drones, while U.S. forces were burning through munitions.
President Trump has never bought into long-running military entanglements in the Middle East.
When he approved a campaign to reopen shipping in the Red Sea by bombing the Houthi militant group into submission, President Trump wanted to see results within 30 days of the initial strikes two months ago.
By Day 31, Mr. Trump, ever leery of drawn-out military entanglements in the Middle East, demanded a progress report, according to administration officials.
But the results were not there. The United States had not even established air superiority over the Houthis. Instead, what was emerging after 30 days of a stepped-up campaign against the Yemeni group was another expensive but inconclusive American military engagement in the region.
The Houthis shot down several American MQ-9 Reaper drones and continued to fire at naval ships in the Red Sea, including an American aircraft carrier. And the U.S. strikes burned through weapons and munitions at a rate of about $1 billion in the first month alone.It did not help that two $67 million F/A-18 Super Hornets from America’s flagship aircraft carrier tasked with conducting strikes against the Houthis accidentally tumbled off the carrier into the sea.
By then, Mr. Trump had had enough.
Steve Witkoff, his Middle East envoy, who was already in Omani-mediated nuclear talks with Iran, reported that Omani officials had suggested what could be a perfect offramp for Mr. Trump on the separate issue of the Houthis, according to American and Arab officials. The United States would halt the bombing campaign and the militia would no longer target American ships in the Red Sea, but without any agreement to stop disrupting shipping that the group deemed helpful to Israel.
The Pentagon’s only measurable success was how many bombs it dropped. And that wasn’t going to cut it. Trump saw it for what it was: a full-blown mess in the making.
Here’s what some key takeaways reveal about what really went down.
Some crazy moments in this NYT story about the Houthi campaign:
— they almost shot down an F-35
— it cost $1 billion for 30 days
— it used so many precision munitions that Pentagon contingency planners started to freak out
— CENTCOM’s metric of success was “bombs dropped”Frankly, I want to again give credit where it is due: many other administrations would have just kept going rather than be perceived as weak (*cough Biden cough*).
That this admin did the cost-benefit analysis and called it actually speaks well of them.
Frankly, I want to again give credit where it is due: many other administrations would have just kept going rather than be perceived as weak (*cough Biden cough*).
That this admin did the cost-benefit analysis and called it actually speaks well of them. https://t.co/2KDdXPJGzz
— Emma Ashford (@EmmaMAshford) May 13, 2025
And then there’s this memorable “America Last” line from Joe Biden:
President Trump did what American leaders are supposed to do: put the interests of the country ahead of politics and foreign agendas. He saw a bad bet and walked away. That’s not weakness; it’s real leadership. Not every scuffle is worth dragging out, and it’s perfectly okay to admit that. It’s what leaders should do.
The even bigger takeaway is this: in a town full of swampy warmongers and defense lobbyists, Trump proved he was willing to cut and bolt when the mission wasn’t serving America. He defied the Pentagon. He defied pressure from Israel. He chose results over reputation. And as a result, he saved American lives, dollars, and dignity.
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While the left calls this “retreat,” the rest of the country calls it restraint and smart thinking. After all, we bombed the hell out of the Houthis, and that show of force set the stage for a deal. They agreed to stop targeting US ships. So in just one month, we got what we came for.
Trump didn’t just walk away, he walked away with a win. A big one.
And that is exact kind of leadership that puts America First.
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