The Doctrine of “Invincible Self Defense”

President Donald J. Trump particiaptes in a Memorial Day Ceremony | May 28, 2018 (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

Bruce Fein, the former counsel to the Joint Congressional Committee on Covert Arms Sales to Iran has some ideas about how President Trump should approach the NATO summit. Fein believes Trump should announce a Make America Great Again doctrine of “invincible Self-Defense,” at the summit. Fein explains at The American Conservative, writing (abridged):

At the forthcoming NATO summit, President Donald Trump should tell the other 28 other members what Congressman John Randolph of Virginia told Greek proponents of American military assistance during their war of independence against the Ottoman Empire: “Let us say to those seven millions of Greeks, ‘We defended ourselves, when we were but three million against a Power, in comparison to which the Turk is a lamb. Go and do thou likewise.’”

In short, President Trump should tell the other NATO nations that the United States will no longer defend them from external aggression unless Congress declares war as is constitutionally required by the Declare War Clause of Article I, section 8, clause 11.

Then Trump should announce a Make America Great Again (MAGA) doctrine of “Invincible Self-Defense.” That means he will engage the armed forces only in self-defense against actual or imminent aggressors towards the United States, and only if Congress declares war or directs the offensive use of the military. He should explain that the Constitution prohibits the president from initiating war based on treaties or executive agreements, and that while he wishes for freedom and liberty everywhere, he will fight only to defend that which is ours.