OPINION | Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those held by Sarah Palin.
Opinions on Syria have been pouring in from every angle. Some are steadfastly for President Trump’s order for air strikes against the Assad regime. Others are vehemently opposed. Still others are somewhere in the middle. Perhaps what’s more telling than the various opinions however, is the way in which they are being expressed.
Many liberals who were for Obama air strikes are ripping Trump for similar moves simply because they detest the commander-in-chief. Some Republicans who hammered Obama’s policies in 2013 are suddenly for the Trump moves. As for the media, well…we all know how that goes. Enter Colonel Rob Maness, who proves you can respectfully disagree with someone, express that belief, and still support the person you differ with. What a concept.
Maness, the Air Force vet from Louisiana who was endorsed by Sarah Palin for U.S. Senate runs in 2014 and 2016 pulled no punches on Syria this week.
Perhaps, Palin set the tone on this. The former Alaska governor has been a Donald Trump supporter from the start. Yet, when she disagreed with President Trump’s deal with Carrier, she voiced it. Rand Paul has acted similarly to Palin. Kentucky’s junior senator endorsed Donald Trump and has worked well with him so far in his first term. However, Paul has not been shy to speak up when he is against a Trump move. Contrast that to the way the left and the establishment conduct themselves and the differences are stark.
Never Trumpers, RINOs, Democrats, and the lame stream media despise Mr. Trump. They want him to fail. They want to destroy him. So, their opinions are pre-determined. They are always anti-Trump. ALWAYS. They just wait for something to happen that fits their narrative, and they pounce. We are seeing this with Syria.
So, there are three camps. Those that loathe President Trump no matter what, those that follow him blindly, and then there’s the Palin-Paul-Maness crowd. Trump supporters who also have a mind of their own.
While appearing on The Palin Update radio program on Mama Grizzly Radio, Colonel Maness gave his take on the developments in Syria. “The attack appears to have been successful from a tactical perspective,” said Maness. “Unfortunately the president did not consult with congress and is attempting to tie it to a national interest that is vague and it’s not the norm for the United States to be involved in somebody else’s civil war.”
This by no means is a deal breaker for Maness when it comes to Trump, the man he voted for in 2016. “This is definitely not a deal breaker for me,” Maness said. “I won’t walk away from it. I will defend the Constitution regardless of who’s in the presidency or what party’s in power, and I won’t stand down on that. But, the Constitution won a great victory this week when Neil Gorsuch was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. I am very grateful that Leader McConnell and President Trump had the courage to stand up to the Democrats and go ahead and confirm Judge Gorsuch. I think it’s a good thing for the future of our country. I hope they continue to show that type of courage and willingness to step up instead of running away from somebody. I want the president to be highly successful.”
This is called healthy debate. Free thinkers actually have the guts to speak out based on what they believe as opposed to taking a side only if it fits an agenda. While President Trump would disagree with Maness’ stance on Syria, you can be sure the president would welcome and appreciate the colonel’s honesty. President Trump welcomes debate and differences of opinion. He has repeatedly proven this on the campaign trail and in office. The discussion of water boarding between Trump and General James Mattis serves as one example. Trump’s willingness to allow Kellyanne Conway and other top staffers to speak their mind is another. Trump’s willingness to allow Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner to hash out their differences, still another. There are many more examples.
The Trumps, Palins, Pauls, and Manesses of the world are thick skinned patriots who love their country. They believe in their freedom of speech and they use that freedom. They don’t always agree. That’s normal. But, when they disagree it’s not because of Kasich-like spite. It’s not fueled by Ryan-like politics. It’s not due to Obama-like disdain for Trump. It’s just patriots with the same goal of a better nation, but sometimes different approaches for achieving it.
To hear the complete interview with Rob Maness visit www.mamagrizzlyradio.com.