Introduction
Donald Trump’s suggestion to use U.S. military power against Mexican drug cartels was met with the predictable outrage from the left — and a smug “No invasion. Off the table.” from Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum.
The critics claim this is “classic Trump” — the same man who floated buying Greenland or referred to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” The implication is that he’s unserious, impulsive, and that his America First posture is just selfishness in disguise.
But here’s the problem with that narrative: it deliberately ignores the reality on the ground, the scale of the crisis, and the decades of failure by Mexico to contain the cartels that are killing Americans by the tens of thousands.
The Cartel Crisis Is Not Mexico’s Private Problem
More than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses last year, with fentanyl — much of it produced by Mexican cartels using Chinese precursors — as the leading killer (CDC, 2023). This is not a border-town issue. It’s in every state, from rural Ohio to suburban Colorado to urban New York.
The Mexican government has repeatedly demonstrated either inability or unwillingness to dismantle these transnational criminal organizations. Cartels operate with near impunity, corrupting police, buying politicians, and openly challenging the state with military-grade weapons.
Trump’s proposal isn’t about “invading Mexico.” It’s about acknowledging that these groups are not petty criminals — they are foreign terrorist organizations whose reach and death toll rival ISIS. And history shows that decisive force, properly targeted, can dismantle such threats when diplomacy and hand-wringing have failed.
The False Nostalgia for “Win-Win” Foreign Policy
The original critique paints Trump as the antithesis of America’s best moments — the Marshall Plan, Berlin Airlift, Peace Corps — and tries to frame him as all “take” and no “give.” But here’s the truth: those moments of magnanimity worked because America first secured its own strength and interests.
The Marshall Plan wasn’t charity — it was strategic, ensuring a prosperous, stable Europe to prevent the spread of Soviet communism. The Berlin Airlift wasn’t a random act of kindness — it was a geopolitical move to keep West Berlin out of Stalin’s grip. The Peace Corps, the moon landing, and smallpox eradication all came from a position of power, not from naïve “win-win” idealism detached from national interest.
Trump’s America First approach operates on the same principle: secure our people first, then help others when it aligns with our security and prosperity.
The Mexico Relationship Isn’t Sacred
The critics wax poetic about friendship with Mexico while conveniently ignoring the asymmetry. Mexico profits from hundreds of billions in trade, remittances from its citizens in the U.S., and access to American markets — yet has failed for decades to contain a security crisis spilling directly into our communities.
Mexico’s “No invasion” line is political theater. What they’re really saying is: We won’t let you disrupt the status quo that allows cartels to operate in our territory while we collect the economic benefits of trade and remittances with you.
When a “friend” refuses to help stop the killing of 100,000 of your citizens a year, the relationship needs a reality check.
Character Assassination Is Not an Argument
Trotting out Michael Cohen’s testimony or cherry-picked biographer quotes doesn’t address the actual question: Do we have the right and obligation to act decisively against foreign criminal groups killing our people?
The obsession with Trump’s personality is a distraction. Whether you love him or hate him, the logic stands: if a hostile organization is killing tens of thousands of Americans annually, and the host country refuses to stop it, we act. Period.
The Global Opinion Red Herring
The critique laments that Canada, Europe, and others aren’t “cheering us on” — as if foreign applause is the metric for American policy. That mindset is exactly why our adversaries have grown bolder. Our allies respect strength, not endless deference.
Reagan didn’t win the Cold War by asking Europe’s permission. FDR didn’t land at Normandy based on a global opinion poll. The U.S. has always acted in its own defense first — and real allies understand that.
The Bottom Line
The cartels are not going away with sternly worded statements and diplomatic niceties. They are a clear and present danger to the lives of American citizens, and they operate across our southern border with impunity.
If Mexico won’t stop them, America must. That’s not “me first.” That’s protecting your people — the first and most sacred duty of any leader. And if that makes some in Mexico or the international cocktail circuit uncomfortable, so be it.
The families burying loved ones lost to fentanyl don’t care about Claudia Sheinbaum’s press lines. They care about ending the slaughter. And that means doing whatever it takes.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this post are opinions of the author for educational and commentary purposes only. They are not statements of fact about any individual or organization, and should not be construed as legal, medical, or financial advice. References to public figures and institutions are based on publicly available sources cited in the article. Any resemblance beyond these references is coincidental.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts.
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (2023). Fentanyl Flow to the United States.
- Congressional Research Service. (2022). Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations.
