To The Contrary with Charlie Sykes The Violent Occupation of an American City
10 snips
Jan 24, 2026 
David French, opinion writer and former service member who covers law and civil society, discusses rising tensions in Minneapolis and national polarization. He examines militarized responses, the risks of poorly trained street forces, how disruptive actions can give political pretext for force, and concerns about alliances and institutions in a shifting global order.
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Alliances Are America's Force Multiplier
- Donald Trump's repeated insults to NATO risk convincing allies the U.S. is unreliable and reduce shared defense capability.
- David French argues U.S. power rests on cooperation with allies, not unilateral dominance.
Allied Troops Fought Beside U.S. Forces
- David French recounts British, Danish, and Australian troops fighting alongside Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- He uses this service history to rebut Trump's claim that NATO allies didn't fight on front lines.
You Can't Replace Allies With Spending
- RAND estimates the U.S. shoulders about 39% of allied defense burden, so withdrawing harms collective security.
- French warns inflating U.S. defense spending to replace allies is unaffordable and strategically flawed.
