President Trump's Bold Bid for Peace Deserves Our Full Support

President Donald Trump is smashing through the Russia-Ukraine quagmire with the iron will and razor-sharp instincts America demanded when it swept him into office, and Senator Lindsey Graham's recent X post nails it: Trump's leadership is the only force fierce enough to forge a "just and honorable" end to this three-year slaughter. While Biden bumbled, tossing cash and guns at Zelensky like a clueless bystander, President Trump seized the reins and if I know President Trump he will outmaneuver Vladimir Putin at every turn. This is no timid diplomacy-it's a masterclass in dominance, with President Trump holding the cards. America didn't vote for weakness; it voted for peace through strenghth.

Battlefield stalemates and economic exhaustion have made one thing clear: more weapons won't resolve this. It takes a President Trump to wrangle an agreement from

two stubborn leaders-Putin, dug in like a bear, and Zelensky vowing to fight on.

President Trump's approach, blunt, pragmatic, and free of diplomatic baggage, has jolted a stalled process back to life. Behind-the-scenes efforts are gaining traction, and Zelensky's readiness for a ceasefire proves it. Under Biden, Ukraine got a blank check and no reason to talk; Trump's mix of pressure and promises has flipped the script. That's the difference voters elected a President who dictates the game, not one dictated by it.

Putin's past-broken deals in Minsk, land grabs in Donbas-demands skepticism, yet his leverage is slipping. President Trump's knack for managing strongmen, blending

flattery with resolve, has Putin on the back foot. Biden's endless arms shipments locked the door; President Trump is prying it open, with the leverage that can force Putin into a

deal he can stomach. America elected a negotiator who outplays, not a paymaster who gets played.

Biden's tenure was a masterclass in negative inertia: billions dumped into Ukraine with no endgame, prolonging carnage through indecision. President Trump sees leverage where others saw deadlock. Critics may sneer at his style, but results silence doubters. If he pulls this off, it'll validate the nation's choice of a leader who deals from strength, not Putin's whims.

The stakes are brutal. A "just and honorable" peace must safeguard Ukraine's sovereignty while giving Russia a security nod-no small feat. Biden sidestepped that challenge with cash; Trump's facing it head-on, cards firmly in hand. He's got a plan to hold Zelensky's line and offer Putin an exit plan that he can sell back home. Senator Tommy Tuberville's recent statement nails the stakes: "Ukraine's future hinges on Trump and Putin, not Zelensky, who's sidelined in this high-stakes showdown."

This is President Trump at his finest taking the bull by the horns-exactly what America signed up for in November. While Biden floundered and Harris babbled word salad about "the significance of the passage of time," Trump has grabbed the reins, fearless against Putin's stubbornness and Zelensky's tenacity. It takes a President Trump to tame these two, and he holds the upper hand, not Putin. His charge could end a war and carve a legacy of guts, proving voters picked a doer over a talker-bold action, not meandering gibberish, wins the day for America every time, hands down, no contest.

Perry O Hooper Jr is a former State Representative who writes columns on his political perspective and has been published in a number of publications around Alabama and beyond. He was an early supporter of Donald Trump and was the 2016 Trump Victory Chair.

Opinions expressed in the Alabama Gazette are the opinions and viewpoints of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Alabama Gazette staff, advertisers, and/ publishers.