Quotes of the week:
“When America does not lead malign actors fill the void to the disadvantage of the United States” — Trump administration National Security Strategy, December 2017
“We will compete and lead in multilateral organizations so that American interests and principles are protected.” — Trump administration National Security Strategy, December 2017
“We must upgrade our diplomatic capabilities to compete in the current environment and to embrace a competitive mindset.”
— Trump administration National Security Strategy, December 2017
“In the fiery, disruptive, rules-breaking arc of Mr. Trump’s statecraft, his assertions during a news conference with Mr. Putin marked a new milestone, the foreign policy equivalent of Charlottesville.” — Mark Landler, New York Times
“No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant.” — Senator John McCain
“In my almost four decades with national defense starting in the Pentagon under Ronald Reagan, I never saw or imagined so uneven a handover of American security interests and principles with nothing in return at a meeting. It was like watching the destruction of a cathedral.” — Former Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter
“This was the weakest and most shameful performance of an American president at a summit in our lifetime. Following Trump’s demeaning of NATO and the EU, and his public attacks on Angela Merkel and Teresa May, his calamitous European trip weakened our global credibility.” — Ambassador Nicholas Burns
“This is a week that will live in infamy for Americans and their friends and allies.” — MK, with a nod to FDR
“What could possibly cause President Trump to put the interests of Russia over those of the United States?” — Senator Chuck Schumer