It was the moment Donald Trump won the November presidential election. I’m not referring to the fateful decision to turn his head, which saved him from death by a quarter of an inch.
We are not talking about the miraculous fact of his survival, at 6:11 p.m. in Butler, Pennsylvania, when tens of thousands of horrified fans watched him fall, blood flowing from a head wound whose meaning was at first worryingly unclear.
No, the moment of truth, perhaps of revelation, came a few seconds later, when Secret Service agents tried to drag him out of the scene in a horizontal position, without shoes. It was then that Donald Trump showed his character.
In an instant, he confirmed not only his theatrical instincts, but also his bravery. Fresh from being hit by a high-powered rifle bullet, he did not let himself be carried away passively. He took command of the situation. He broke free from his security guards, ignored their security protocols, and stood up until he was sure the crowd could see him.
Donald Trump knew how important it was to show America that the assassin’s bullet had not prevailed against him, either physically or psychologically.
Clenching his fist, he urged his followers to “fight, fight, fight”; and in doing so, at the moment when it really mattered, he surely demonstrated the most important fact of all: that he is made of the right stuff.
He knew that there was something much more important than his evacuation from the place, and that was to show the United States that the assassin’s bullet had not prevailed against him, neither physically nor psychologically.
That photo, with the police officers arranged in what art historians would call “heroic diagonals,” with Trump’s bloody face and hand at the apex, has already become, in the minds of many Americans, the defining image of this campaign. That’s because of the message it conveys.
This is Trump telling America and the world: I will not be defeated, I will not be beaten.
More importantly, that image tells Americans that if I am your leader, you will not be defeated or beaten. So the gesture has touched the hearts of his followers, and perhaps even some others.
I think that indomitable spirit is exactly what the world needs right now and exactly what is needed in the White House.
As we approach the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, the world is at a crossroads. We face potentially horrific conflicts: in the Middle East, between Israel and Iran’s allies; in the South China Sea, over Taiwan; and on our own continent, Europe, we are witnessing the bloodiest and most horrific war of the past 80 years.
After speaking with Donald Trump this week, I am more convinced than ever that he has the strength and courage to solve the problem, save Ukraine, achieve peace and stop the disastrous spread of conflict.
Whatever other Republicans have said about Ukraine in the past, I think Trump understands the reality: A defeat for Ukraine would be a massive defeat for the United States. It is not just about the extinction of freedom and democracy, those cardinal American values, and the enslavement of the Ukrainian people, though that outcome would be grim in itself.
This is about the long-term consequences of a Putin victory; the practical effect of such a catastrophe on Europe, the United States and the world. If Putin wins in Ukraine, he will of course not stop there.
Look at the map; listen to some of the chilling things the Russian president is now saying: his confused understanding of Poland’s history and the reasons for the outbreak of World War II.
Putin has made it clear that he considers the collapse of the Soviet Union – in his own words – “the greatest disaster of the 20th century” and that he wants to rebuild it.
He will not only attack Georgia, but the entire Russian “near abroad”. He has already begun to launch Hitlerian denunciations of the treatment of Russian speakers in the Baltic states. Where will that end?
If NATO is seen to have failed Ukraine, and if the United States is seen to have failed, who will trust the alliance to defend its own members?
As Putin destabilizes all of Eastern Europe, destroys Ronald Reagan’s achievements and devastates the post-Cold War settlement, his Chinese partners and enablers will be happy to seize Taiwan, while Hezbollah attacks Israel.
Suddenly, we could be on the threshold of a truly horrific conflict in which Americans face a choice: either abandon all pretense of global leadership or pay trillions of dollars to restore order and send young Americans abroad again to die on foreign soil.
It is a terrible prospect, but it could be avoided at relatively trivial cost, with no loss of American lives, if we — the West led by the United States — are determined to defend freedom in Ukraine.
The Ukrainians have shown that they can and will win. Today they are pushing back Putin in the Kharkiv region and exacting a huge price from the Russians in Donetsk. Their heroism is incredible, but the war has been going on for too long and the cost is immense in lives, economic misery and instability.
I think Trump can put an end to it, under the right conditions for Ukraine and the West. I stress that I cannot be sure exactly what he would do if elected, but here is what he might do.
It could build a grand bargain for the world, in which Putin is finally convinced that Ukraine’s future is that of a free, sovereign and independent European country – and that involves a two-stage approach.
The first step is to strengthen the position of the West and strengthen Ukraine. For the past two years we have continuously wished the Ukrainians the end – victory – without wishing them the means.
We have been chronically slow in giving them proper equipment, and even now we impose ridiculous restrictions on how they can use it, so that Ukrainians are fighting with one hand tied behind their back.
The Russians are currently using air-launched glide bombs to cause significant damage to Ukrainian positions, but the Ukrainians cannot fire back because the US won’t let them use ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) to reach Russian airfields, and the UK, I’m sorry to say, won’t let them use Storm Shadow (our long-range air-launched cruise missiles).
Trump could simply do what comes naturally to him: end the dithering and bureaucratic delays, give the Ukrainians the permits they need, and then, when Putin has been rebuffed again, he could offer the deal.
Putin would have to back down at least to pre-invasion limits in 2022, and to avoid future conflict and uncertainty, the rest of Ukraine would have to be recognised as a free country, able to choose its destiny within the EU and NATO, and absolutely welcome to join as soon as possible.
Boris with Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week
The Ukrainians have more than a million soldiers under arms. They are used to working with NATO equipment and are the most effective anti-Russian force in the world. Once the war is over, there is no reason for Ukrainian forces not to replace some of the 70,000 American soldiers still in Europe.
That would allow Trump to save money, bring American forces home and get Europeans to do more in their own defence – one of his key goals.
What would Russia get in return? Well, I think there are all sorts of incentives that could work with Putin. Of course, he could claim that the “special military operation” (i.e. the invasion) had been a success and that he had denazified Ukraine. There could be special protections for Russian speakers.
Above all, with Trump in the White House, there is the real prospect of a global rapprochement with Russia, and with Putin, a return to the days when Russia was a respected partner of the G8 and even NATO.
But there is only one way to achieve this result: force. Washington, under Trump, will have to demonstrate that international borders must be respected and that the Soviet empire cannot be rebuilt by force.
That means supporting the Ukrainians tooth and nail. If Trump had been in the White House, I don’t think Putin would have been so reckless and criminal as to invade Ukraine.
Let us never forget: it was Trump, not Obama or Biden, who gave the Ukrainians the Javelin anti-tank weapons that were so crucial in the battle for kyiv in 2022. Trump already has a track record of making decisive military interventions on behalf of Ukrainian democracy.
If he returns to power later this year, Trump will have a huge opportunity not only to repair his predecessor’s legacy but to move the world forward. Donald Trump is aware of the risk: a defeat in Ukraine would have an enormous long-term cost for the United States and the world.
On the other hand, a well-managed victory for Ukraine could, paradoxically, pave the way for a new and much better relationship with Russia. That would be a great victory for the United States and for the entire world.
I’m not saying it will be easy. It will take strength, determination and nerves of steel. In Butler, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump showed that he has exactly the right mettle for the job.
