The Great Deescalator

Love him, hate him, the one thing you cannot do with President Trump is ignore him. Since the moment he came down the escalator at Trump Tower on June 16, 2015, President Trump has been an unwavering force of good for America. America has long needed a president like President Trump, a president who is not weak. Nearly every president prior to President Trump has avoided Iran. President Trump has in less than 100 days utterly decimated it. Iran will be unable to rebuild the military might it had for the next twenty years. Further, he has shifted the power structure of the entire Middle Eastern Region, doing the impossible, shifting the Middle East towards Israel. At the same time, Iran was seen for what it really is by its own neighbors, many who would have sided with it previously — an untrustworthy country who seeks to bully its way to power — under the guise of Islam. President Trump, by his Epic actions in the Middle East, has deescalated the threat of a future war in the Middle East; he is The Great Deescalator. 

I know many will disagree with this post. They will only see the media driven narrative. But I believe an amazing thing happened in a relatively short period of time — the entire Middle Eastern region has been shifted. It’s palpable. From the Abraham Accords, to the establishment of an embassy in Jerusalem, to the decimation of an evil Iranian regime, President Trump has deescalated tensions in that region by actions others would not have taken and he has moved the entire region towards Israel. No other president took the decisive actions he took. Instead, they left Iran alone to build up arms for more than four decades. Iran was a cancer growing in the Middle East that needed to be excised. And it was. It has been isolated from its neighbors by its own actions, seen for what it truly is, an evil empire. 

Many are lamenting over the Iranian regime not coming to an end. I understand. Nevertheless, we must not miss what has happened. And no, it was not failure. Rather, it was significantly successful, a shift in the Middle East has taken place. Now, I must say this, President Trump is not the Messiah. No, he isn’t going to be able to fully bring peace into the Middle East. No one can. The battle in the Middle East is being controlled and shaped by demonic forces. Even the prophet Daniel, a man of prayer unlike any other we’ve known or seen, a diplomat with recognizable impeccable character, couldn’t bring peace to the Middle East. But he did reshape things by his significant actions. And so has President Trump. 

President Trump’s escalator moment was a prophetic picture of his leadership style: He knows how to escalate and deescalate situations. That’s what he’s done in his split two terms in office. Further, that’s what he did between those two terms in office — he escalated and deescalated situations. And I might say, he did it masterfully. Besides him leaving his enemies in the dust, he has dismantled the media, the NFL, the Democratic Party, the Judiciary, trade imbalances, and even woke Silicon Valley. If you miss what he’s done over the past ten years, then you’ve missed something very special and significant, he has shifted our world and the potential for a future world war by decades. Russia has been weakened. China too. North Korea is no longer escalating tensions. And Iran, evil Iran, has been decimated. The “axis of evil” has been systematically, strategically dismantled. To miss that significant point is foolish and shortsighted.

“President Trump is seeing more clearly, more strategically, and more futuristically.”—Scott Wallis

Part of great leadership is knowing how and when to escalate things and deescalate things. President Trump has just given the world a master class on negotiating. He has demonstrated the art of the deal in real time and in real life. And he continues to do so. He’s not a perfect man. He has his flaws, faults, and failures. Iran is not one of them. And to think that it is, is delusional. No! He has done the impossible, Israeli forces flying with Arab nation forces against a common enemy. Unprecedented. Yet, it happened. Please…let’s give President Trump the benefit of the doubt. 

Name one president who has done as much as he has. Just one. The only president comparable is Ronald Reagan, the Great Communicator. And he was a great communicator — “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Unforgettable! Who can forget the things he did. Like President Reagan, President Trump is a man who is unforgettable, indomitable, and impeccable, a man of extraordinary character. Yes, I know many will grumble when I say that. But name one person who could have faced the tirades, terror campaigns, and treasonous acts he faced…and weathered those storms. There has to be a foundation of the rock, not glass, to stand in the middle of what he’s faced. Do we really think him unprepared to deal with Iran? That he’s gullible? Easily deceived by his own advisors? 

No! Far be it! He escalated the Iran conflict. Now, he’s deescalating that conflict…for a reason. Not because of his gullibility. No! For strategic reasons others fail to see. Such as? The shift in the region. And this is the likely reason for the disagreement between him and Benjamin Netanyahu, a stellar leader as well. Two leaders, two different approaches, two different personalities, and two different realities. But, in this case, President Trump is seeing more clearly, more strategically, and more futuristically. And yes, President Trump still wants to bless Israel, as he has, and this time with something it needs for its future — long term peace amidst its hostile neighbors. Not by appeasement; rather, by agreement and alignment of common national interests, which was and is happening.

Will this peace last? Possibly. Is it good for Israel? Yes. Is it good for America? Yes. And does it give those in Iran time to overthrow their oppressive regime? Yes. And maybe, just maybe, that’s President Trump’s plan — to turn the hearts of the Iranian people towards America, end their hatred of Israel, and bring lasting peace in the Middle East. Is that possible? I believe it is. 

One of the great yet unfulfilled prophecies given by the prophet Isaiah can be found in Isaiah 19:24, 25, NLT: “In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth. For the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will say, ‘Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!’” In context, it’s speaking of a coming day when those three peoples — Israel, Egypt, and Assyria — will unite under the banner of Yahweh. Amazing! It will happen. It hasn’t happened yet. 

I want to ask a question: Is it possible that God is working behind the scenes to fulfill His will and His plan for this region and people? Yes, I believe so. Therefore, let us place our trust in God, pray for those in positions of power, especially President Trump, and lay our opinions and questions at the cross. Not blindly. No! In faith. That’s what people who believe do. They trust in God. 

 Let us pray!

— Scott Wallis