The Munich Security Conference pulled back the curtain.
When world leaders gather on the global stage, there is nowhere to hide. The questions are serious. The stakes are high. And the spotlight is illuminating. What we witnessed was not just diplomacy—it was an audition for 2028.
On the Democratic side, the performances were deeply alarming. When asked a direct question about defending Taiwan from a Chinese invasion, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could not deliver a clear, confident answer. In fact, her mumbled response became a viral embarrassment. On an issue that could determine peace or war in the Indo-Pacific, Americans deserve clarity—not rambling talking points.
Leadership on foreign policy is not learned on social media. It requires depth, discipline, and conviction.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer fared no better. Asked what victory in Ukraine looks like, she laughed nervously and attempted to defer to others on the panel before admitting they were more steeped in foreign policy than she was. That honesty may have been refreshing—but it was also revealing. If someone is not prepared to define victory in a major global conflict, they are not prepared to sit in the Oval Office.
Our adversaries watch these conferences closely.
America does not have the luxury of electing leaders who require on-the-job training in foreign policy. We face an aggressive China, a revanchist Russia, a radicalized Iran, and a world growing more unstable by the day. At the same time, we are confronting a crisis fueled by policies that have allowed migration to be abused, manipulated, and weaponized. A system designed for lawful immigration and humanitarian protection has been overwhelmed, exploited by cartels, and strained beyond capacity.
