"Somebody has to be the grownup," is how my wife — an unreformed and unrepentant, patriotic Air Force brat — summed up America's proper role in the world. "Everybody complains about us, but nobody really wants Russia or China taking charge."
For somebody who never made a study of American politics or world history, Melissa has a great instinct for this stuff. Hell, she has a better instinct for it than most professionals. There's something to be said for growing up on NATO air bases during the '80s. "Awesome," for starters.
But if Melissa's six words sum up a proactively America First worldview, six other words I found on X this weekend sum up President Donald Trump's particular application of that worldview.
"Trump is 'Firm Fathering' the world."
That's courtesy of The Watcher on the Web, a new-to-me account and self-described "Recovering Quixotic, low rent modern day Buckaroo Banzai, CFC Member, Grognard, 'Wiley Desert Sage'," and "Anti-Collectivist."
He (I presume) has a decent follower count and some sharp things to say. Recommended follow.
Now read the whole post:
HOLY CRAP🤯
— The Watcher On The Web (@WatcherontheWeb) January 4, 2026
Trump is "Firm Fathering" the world... I only just realized it
He sets clear, consistent boundaries while maintaining a loving and supporting presence, and always follows through when he says he's going to
And many are reacting like the bunch of undisciplined… https://t.co/tdhDvkFX1s
"And many are reacting like the bunch of undisciplined overgrown children they are because they aren't used to somebody saying 'No' and then following through," Watcher continued before concluding, "The world is finally healing."
I might not go quite that far. I've been around too long to still believe the world can truly heal — but bad actors can be brought to heel, and allies start acting like allies again with a little tough love.
The best part of Trump's "firm father" approach is that it might just be self-reinforcing. An example here, an example there, and pretty soon the whole world notices — and hopefully decides it's better to behave. Nicolás Maduro just got spanked by some of the best elements of the United States military, and he's about to get spanked again in federal court.
Let Beijing, Moscow, and Brussels throw their little tantrums. What do we care?
The nice thing about acting seriously is that after a while — a short while, one hopes — people start treating you seriously. That's a lesson recent presidents either forgot, never learned, or willfully ignored.
America First is not the same thing as isolationism. Trump knows this better than certain supporters do, as perfectly summed up this weekend by my Townhall colleague, Kurt Schlichter.
"I want no part of any America First concept that allows Third World savages to murder abuse, and threaten Americans," Kurt posted on X.
I am not a pacifist. I believe in using our power, ruthlessly and brutally to annihilate our enemies at minimal cost to ourselves. The most basic responsibility of our government is to protect us. And that means, occasionally, war.
America First does not require me to embrace some sort of fantasy that America has no enemies, and to the extent people are mad at us, it’s because we’ve been bad. Nor does it require me to take sides between strange peoples in their disputes when none of our interests are at stake.
America First is not America Fem.
Indeed.
Whatever Haiti's various gangs do to one another doesn't concern us much. When a narco-terrorist seizes control of a country sitting on vast oil wealth, and then uses that country as a testbed for Russian and Chinese military gear while exporting poison to our country, it concerns us a great deal.
Trump warned Maduro. Then he dealt with Maduro. Firmly.
Now Venezuela might just have a chance at enjoying a little freedom again. But that's up to them — we've (nearly) done our part.
My wife also taught me that when an Air Force jet flies overhead, you're basically obligated to say, "That's the sound of freedom."
Can you hear it?
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