OPINION:
At the dawn of the American republic, the newly formed United States was forced to pay tribute to Muslim fiefdoms that seized merchant ships off North Africa and enslaved hundreds of American sailors.
This went on for about 15 years until President Jefferson sent over the newly commissioned U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines. By 1805, the Barbary Pirates were defeated.
Jefferson didn’t seek congressional approval before sending the Marines into Tripoli. He acted under his commander in chief authority, treating the Islamist pirates’ actions as a state of war. A year later, Congress retroactively approved the mission.
Fast-forward to 2026. Like Jefferson, Sen. Tim Kaine hails from Virginia. Known as the cradle of presidents, the Old Dominion is also famous for its military footprint, particularly the U.S. Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval base.
Unlike Jefferson, however, Mr. Kaine doesn’t like the U.S. taking on predatory regimes and doing things like killing Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. At least not without congressional say-so.
On Wednesday, Mr. Kaine, a Democrat who ran for vice president on the Hillary Clinton ticket in 2016, sponsored a War Powers resolution aimed at blocking President Trump’s attack on Iran’s military infrastructure.
In January, Mr. Kaine sponsored a War Powers resolution to curb Mr. Trump’s actions after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Both of Mr. Kaine’s measures were defeated, largely along party lines.
Pretty much all major Democrats have condemned the raids on both rogue nations.
On March 2, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat, told CNN that the president had “failed to provide any justification” for the Iran action.
Iran’s government issued a declaration of war on the United States in 1979 and has never rescinded it. The regime just slaughtered at least 30,000 protesters. Iran has targeted American bases and killed American soldiers and has sponsored Islamist terrorists in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and around the world, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
Mr. Jeffries says the Iran action is “going to end in failure.” Well, let’s hope and pray that he is “on the wrong side of history,” as Democrats like to say.
After the January vote on Venezuela, Sen. Adam B. Schiff, California Democrat, told reporters that Congress should have voted on authorizing military force when Mr. Trump blockaded sanctioned oil tankers from Venezuela in December and when he nabbed Mr. Maduro on Jan. 3.
While Democrats whine and moan, the world’s bad actors are facing changes once thought impossible.
The Venezuela raid has stopped cold the socialist government’s sabotage of other South American nations. Venezuelans, of whom 7 million had fled to other countries, now have the hope of seeing all political prisoners freed and electing a legitimate government.
The action has also put a plug in Venezuela’s subsidizing of Cuba’s dictatorship with cheap Venezuelan oil. It could mean the end of communist rule, which has oppressed the Caribbean island nation with an iron fist since 1959.
As for Iran, the biggest losers are Russia and China. Iran has been sending thousands of drones to Russian forces for Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
More geopolitically important, Iran has been supplying 1.4 million barrels of oil a day to China, accounting for more than 13% of China’s imported oil. Venezuela has provided about 10% of China’s oil imports. The sharp decline in supply, thanks to Mr. Trump’s raids, weakens China’s hand and may fend off its monstrous plan to invade Taiwan.
Given the potential global impact of a Chinese invasion, many nations should be thanking Mr. Trump right now. Taiwan produces 60% of the world’s semiconductor chips and more than 90% of the most advanced chips.
Because of Mr. Trump’s bold actions in taking out two dictators, nearly all members of the current “axis of evil” are on their heels. Even North Korea, whose leaders’ bellicosity has long threatened the peace in Asia, may take notice that the world has changed.
Getting back to Virginia, the picture wouldn’t be complete without mentioning a profound contrast involving Mr. Kaine. In 2024, Mr. Kaine ran successfully for reelection, defeating Republican candidate Hung Cao, a decorated, 25-year U.S. Navy veteran, in the Virginia Senate race.
Mr. Cao, who was born in Vietnam, came to America with his family in 1981 after the North Vietnamese took over and executed his father, a South Vietnamese army officer.
This fall, President Trump nominated Mr. Cao as undersecretary of the Navy. Mr. Cao was confirmed on a mostly party-line 52-45 vote, with only one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voting no.
Mr. Kaine voted against Mr. Cao’s nomination, as did his fellow Virginia Democrat, Mark R. Warner.
In a debate with Mr. Kaine on Oct. 3, 2024, at Norfolk State University, Mr. Cao said on the issue of illegal immigration, “Don’t come to this country and ask for the American dream if you’re not willing to obey the American laws and embrace the American culture.”
As undersecretary of the Navy, Mr. Cao is undoubtedly busy right now helping to ensure that the combined American and Israeli forces defeat Iran.
Virginia’s voters, who preferred Mr. Kaine over Mr. Cao and just elected the radical (and fake moderate) Abigail Spanberger as governor, might someday wonder what in blazes they were thinking.
• Robert Knight is a columnist for The Washington Times. His website is roberthknight.com.
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