The invitation came less than 24 hours before the event. A phone call from a White House aide: President Trump would like you to attend the 9/11 event at Yankee Stadium on Thursday.
When any President asks you to do something, you do it. Four Chief Executives have made requests of me. For example, I am proud that I helped President Obama with the “Brother’s Keeper” program. More recently, it was a highlight of my life to address the Chinese Politburo in Beijing last May in order to encourage detente.
At Yankee Stadium, I was seated next to the President, which, considering the status of the entourage, was a surprise. Having known Donald Trump for 35 years, I knew something was on his mind.
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It was actually two things: Putin and Charlie Kirk.
There is no one in the world better able to identify with the attack on Mr. Kirk than President Trump. The assassination in Utah absolutely mirrors the Butler, Pennsylvania, situation where Donald Trump almost lost his life. The President rarely shows emotion in public, but the Kirk murder shook him. Mr. Trump will attend Charlie’s funeral, which obviously honors him and his family. I hope that brings them some relief, as their suffering is staggering.
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On the Putin front, my new book “Confronting Evil” nails the psychopath. It is vital that the world understand who we are dealing with in Russia. In the past, many leaders miscalculated, at least in the beginning: Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Castro, and, yes, Putin. This cannot happen again.
I am confident that Donald Trump has a realistic view of the Russian tyrant who has gotten much worse since Trump’s first term. On Saturday, the President alerted the world that sales of Russian oil will be targeted. Don’t know if that’s enough with China and India continuing to buy Putin’s oil, thereby enabling the slaughter of civilians in Ukraine.
Bad world.
Finally, your humble correspondent is walking a very tight rope between journalism and policy. I have no choice. My career span is now more than 50 years. I know a lot. It is my responsibility to help my country; to bluntly assess what is good and what is bad. Thus, the new book.
Thursday night was a very positive experience for the USA. The families of 9/11 victims were honored, the stadium crowd respectful, the grief over Charlie Kirk’s murder mostly appropriate, with just a small number of mentally ill people acting out.
We are living in turbulent times. We all have a responsibility to fight evil and embrace the national good.
No exceptions.
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