Biden's War on Trump and "Trump-Like" Leaders

President Biden's recklessness and total failure in Ukraine and Gaza are well known. But it overshadows one of his administration's major foreign policy blunders that it doesn't even like to talk about, given the scale of its mess: Pakistan.

When Biden assumed office, his administration didn't simply go after Trump but also launched a crusade against what they termed "Trump-like" "populist" leaders around the world. The White House, its media partners, DC policy wonks, and State Department-funded NGOs around the world openly boxed global leaders they saw as either close to Trump or anti-status quo in their countries. Imran Khan is one of those leaders who faced the brunt of the Biden administration due to his parallels with President Trump (watch Trevor Noah).

Biden's undiplomatic and overt (almost personal) dislike for Imran Khan (because they saw him as the Trump of Pakistan) led to a series of events that not only removed Imran Khan from power but also spiraled a nuclear-powered country of 240 million people out of control and into chaos.

But what's even worse is that the Biden administration tacitly supported and remained tolerant (to this day) of a brutal military-backed regime that stole the elections, illegally incarcerated Imran Khan, upended the constitution, curbed all possible freedoms, and finally, when still failing to govern, killed its own citizens through straight gunfire on November 26, 2024.

The cost of Biden's obsessive war against "Trump" and "Trump-like" leaders in countries like Pakistan is not simply being paid by Pakistanis, but it has also put the U.S. national interest and global security at great risk.

There is more terrorism in Pakistan today than ever before, and parts of Pakistan, including Baluchistan and the tribal areas, have no state writ, opening up the region for any global militant organization to set up shop.

I do hope that the Trump administration is able to undo this mess that Biden has left in Pakistan. Forcing the military regime to release Imran Khan and returning the stolen public mandate would be a good start to rebuild US global credibility and develop long-term global alliances.