Donald Trump is at his best in crisis

President Trump saved our economy. Now he is saving our heritage. His decision to protect federal monuments from vandals shows he exhibits the kind of leadership that our country can count on during a crisis. It is when he is operating at his best as the commander in chief.

Bold leadership is what it took in order for Trump to create the financial revival and prosperity that we enjoyed before the coronavirus pandemic. It is this type of unflinching action that is required in the face of violence and anarchy running through the streets in recent weeks. “Now they are looking at Jesus Christ, they are looking at George Washington, they are looking at Abraham Lincoln,” Trump observed, vowing that a travesty of tearing down historic statues will not happen under his watch.

Indeed, he was equally unequivocal about the radical efforts to establish autonomous zones in our cities, pledging that it would never happen in Washington. It was not an empty promise by Trump, as the White House has deployed National Guard troops to supplement law enforcement in the District of Columbia. This approach bore immediate results.

When rioters tried to tear down a statue of Andrew Jackson by the White House, United States Park Police successfully intervened to protect this public property and a symbol of our heritage. The protesters reportedly chose a statue of Abraham Lincoln near Capitol Hill as their next target, but federal authorities refused to allow them anywhere near it.

The Democratic leaders of numerous cities have unfortunately taken the opposite approach. It has often come with tragic consequences. Several people have sadly been killed during recent riots across the country, and many more lost their businesses and jobs as a direct result of the looting and vandalism that had gone unchecked by law enforcement.

The autonomous zone in Seattle is a harrowing case of a total failure in leadership. Instead of enforcing the law and protecting citizens, officials surrendered a downtown neighborhood to an anarchist mob. The mayor tried to downplay this by describing it as a summer of love, but this could not have been further from the truth. The area was plagued by crimes that first responders could not address in a timely fashion. After two nights of shootings, which resulted in the death of a young man, the mayor finally came to terms with the stark reality of the situation in the area.

Trump, on the other hand, did not have to wait for innocent people to die before touting the fundamental importance of maintaining law and order for the public safety of all citizens. He promised to take action in Seattle if the mayor would not come to her senses. He also vowed that anyone who tries to damage or destroy federal monuments will face criminal charges. That is the kind of decisive leadership that the country should be able to count on during a crisis, and it is also when Trump is at his best.

Madison Gesiotto is an attorney who serves with the advisory board of the Donald Trump campaign. You can follow her on Twitter @MadisonGesiotto.