Trump’s Ambassadors—and Why It’s Important to Select Strong Leadership to the World – Opinion

We are on the heels of Women’s History Month, and CPAC was chock full of not only female panelists, but female candidates. This fascinating panel called, “Trump’s Ambassadors” featured three women ambassadors who were Trump appointees: Lynda Blanchard, Ambassador to Slovenia (which is also First Lady Melania Trump’s birth country), Lana Marks, Ambassador to South Africa, and Carla Sands, Ambassador to Denmark.

Mercedes Schlapp, CPAC Chair, moderated the discussion and asked the attendees questions about commerce, international relations, security and energy. She also addressed the future state of the world. Schlapp asked the participants to.

“[G]This panel was inspiring. Because these are dynamic leaders who stood on the international stage,” she encouraged.

Americans shouldn’t care who is appointed ambassador to foreign countries or what the implications are for the rest of the world. To understand why this is so important, we need only look at the situation in Ukraine or an aggressive Russia.

Denmark Amb. Carla Sands added a more fine point.

“We need to pay attention to the world, and not fall asleep at the switch,” she said.

Amb. Slovenia Lynda Blanchard spoke about how she introduced Slovenia to her and that the Slovenians were happy with her selection.

“They were hungry for a strong, political ambassador,” she said.

Lana Marks, Amb. South Africa: Lana Marks, Amb.

“It was the opportunity of a lifetime to get things done for America.”

Schlapp led ambassadors in a discussion on national security, and how an ambassador could have a strong impact on it. Strong leadership is another way to demonstrate the power of strong leadership. Rick Grenell, former DNI and Ambassador in Germany is an example.

Amb. Sands stated that her Embassy team was,

“worked to counter Russia and China, we worked every day,” she said.

“The U.S. hadn’t paid attention to the high north for 67 years. Russia, China and other countries were watching it and were not surprised that we didn’t appear to be there. We were able, with President Trump’s support, to harness that region, which is close to North America, to get it more secure.”

Along with Ukraine, Sands continues to see the looming threat of Russia and China in terms of not only America’s national security, but our energy security as well. Sands understood the need to have strong leadership in the nation’s front and is running for Senate in Pennsylvania.

Amb. Blanchard also addressed the threat posed by China and Russia. Amb. Marks acknowledged the importance of strong leadership to defeat this threat.

“It’s not a coincidence that shortly after I arrived, the Chinese ambassador was relocated back to China, she said.

“For the entire length of time I served, there was no Chinese ambassador.”

After Marks took the reins, the Chinese ambassador got reinstalled.

It’s not a coincidence.

Blanchard also illuminated that, “Slovenia is the northernmost port that is not part of China’s footprint,” she said. China wants to alter this and is becoming more aggressive. Blanchard believes that the situation is as it should be.

“Clearly this has been a diplomatic failure under President Biden’s weak leadership.”

Blanchard was very proud to build with Slovenia.

“Port-to-port trade for the first time ever. Our focus was to look into niches. How can we learn from each others. Right now, I tell you, the United States of America needs chips, and bearings.”

Blanchard then expounded on Trump’s focus to get the NATO countries up to giving 2 percent toward NATO defense.

“Trump wanted to make sure NATO bumped up their participation, and pulling in defense products,” she said.

“They are in a better position now to protect you, than four years ago when we arrived, because of President Trump.”

Sands pointed out the tragic reality of

“The American taxpayer is still carrying the burden for Europe’s defense, while [Europe] imports gas and fossil fuels from Russia.”

Sands affirmed her fellow ambassadors rallying cry for strong ambassadorial leadership to hold the line on America’s commerce, national security, and energy security, as well as the creation of collaborative partnerships with foreign countries that will not blow up in our faces.

“There is no substitute. We really are the leaders in NATO,” Sands asserted.

“The world needs more American leadership, and the world needs to get it right. We see what happens, with Ukraine, when we have a bully, and we have a weak President.”