Donald Trump is now four months into his second term. It’s been quite a ride. Trump has surprised even jaded political cynics like me when it comes to doing what he said that he would do if elected. Whether or not that’s a bad or good thing happens to depend, I reckon, on one’s perspective. But I’ll give him this: he’s doing what many people wanted when they voted for him. Kudos, at least, for that.

Although Jim Risch is one of those Congressional lifers who does not have a particularly distinguished record on domestic issues, he has exercised good sense on some national security issues. He has long seen the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) as an essential component of America’s national defense. For instance, in 2023 he called NATO “the most successful political and defensive organization that’s ever been on the face of the planet.” He elaborated: “NATO is important because the national security of the United States of America is the most important issue that the federal government exists for. And there is nothing that gives us better security than the NATO organization.”