The American Conservative

Much like Romney’s complaints about the “flaws” in New START, Cruz’s complaints about “sunset clauses” and the like are objections made in bad faith by someone who wants to demolish the entire structure.

The pivot metaphor has been used many times during Trump’s presidency to describe an impending change in direction, but the pivots never seem to take place.

The danger in the coming years is that the limits put in place by the treaties negotiated during and after the Cold War will completely disappear.

The differences Brands identifies may apply to generic Democrats and Republicans, but they don’t describe us very well at all.

Refusing to extend the treaty is an act of international vandalism, since there will be nothing in the foreseeable future to replace New START when it is gone.

The administration’s supposed desire for a “better” arms control treaty is just as phony as its desire for a “better” nuclear deal with Iran.

It should be possible to attack Trump on his record without whitewashing all of pre-2016 U.S. foreign policy as Biden did.

The only thing that Bolton believes in quitting is a successful diplomatic agreement that advances U.S. interests.

Bolton wants to burn down the last arms control treaty that remains for purely ideological reasons that have nothing to do with the security of the United States.

Like all of his complaints about arms control agreements, Bolton’s criticisms of New START are made in bad faith.

The junior senator from Utah has learned nothing after all these years, and there is no reason to expect that he ever will.

Bolton hates every diplomatic agreement that has succeeded, and he applauds diplomatic breakdowns as successes.

Allowing New START to expire would be very dangerous and foolish, but all signs suggest that this is exactly what the administration is going to do.

Trump’s decision to exit the treaty doesn’t have popular support.

Giving up on the INF Treaty is one of the biggest blunders that Trump has made as president, and it could prove to be one of his costliest mistakes.

Quitting the INF Treaty unfortunately fits the administration’s pattern of reneging on and abandoning agreements without giving any thought to the consequences of withdrawal.

Quitting the INF Treaty and allowing New START to expire would represent the willful destruction of the most important arms control agreements that the U.S. has.