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place in history as a great leader.

American action in Iran has also brought forth with clarity where the rest of the world stands.

We now better understand the lack of principles of our so-called European allies and the squishiness of NATO. We now better understand the evil and threat lurking in Russia, China and North Korea.

And particularly interesting is the potential realignment that will emerge in the Persian Gulf, as suddenly the Arab nations in the Gulf have found themselves attacked by the Iranian maniacs. We may see a great solidifying of U.S. relations with those oil-rich Gulf nations, and we may see an historic solidifying of their relationship with Israel.

It all has made the security picture even clearer to Trump, who is requesting in the 2027 budget a 50% increase in defense spending, from around $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion.

The current war has made abundantly clear the inadequacy of our defense spending, now hovering at an historic low of 3% of GDP. We live in a dangerous world. The motto “peace through strength” has never been clearer.

But how do we add $500 billion to our defense budget when we are running multitrillion dollar deficits at home and we’re carrying national debt greater than 100% of GDP?

There is one answer. We must step up finally and revamp and reform the massive waste in our federal spending — now approaching 25% of our GDP.

The GAO reported last year that the federal government loses $233 to $521 billion in fraud. It also reported improper federal payments since 2003 totaling at least $2.8 trillion.

In 2024 alone, GAO notes improper payments in Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP (food stamps) of $95.5 billion.

When Republicans moved to reform Medicaid in the One Big Beautiful Bill, Democrats went crazy and took us to a government shutdown.

Democrats are out front complaining about the spike in gasoline prices. The best way to manage gasoline prices is increased supplies of oil and gas. Democrats are forever obstacles to this, making discredited claims about climate. Recently Microsoft founder Bill Gates, once a climate change enthusiast, has now repudiated “the doomsday view” of climate change, saying it “is wrong.”

We may well see in the midterms that voters indeed see Democrats as the clear and present danger to the nation.

Star Parker is founder of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. Her recent book, “What Is the CURE for America?” is available now. To find out more about Star Parker and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators. com. COPYRIGHT 2026 CREATORS. COM