Trump is back
The taste of victory is oh so sweet.
What a glorious, beautiful week.
Two weeks ago, I predicted a Trump win with 312 Electoral College votes, a Senate floor of 51 seats, and the worst wipeout of Dems since Michael Dukakis in ‘88.
How does victory taste? Oh so sweet.
🧂America’s enemies take note
That didn’t take long
Less than a week after the landslide election of former President Donald J. Trump, America’s enemies are running for cover.
A Hamas spokesman told Newsweek it seeks an immediate end to the war.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin remarked to reporters that Trump’s desire to end the Ukraine crisis “deserves attention at least.”
China’s Xi Jinping congratulated Trump on Thursday, expressing the pair would “find the right way to get along in the new era.”
World leaders know that the past four years of U.S. dithering, insecurity, and shame are over.
America is back with the gusto of a “USA, USA!” chant.
The world sees exactly what a majority of Americans see in their president-elect: strength.
“His behavior at the moment of an attempt on his life left an impression on me. He turned out to be a brave man,” Vladimir Putin said.
Damn right.
It is a fact as old as human nature that strength, bravery and resolve create peace. Weakness invites war.
We’ve lived the latter half of that adage for the past four years.
🎙️What I’m listening to right now
If you’re a frequent reader of this column, you know that I believe strongly in our military but also in the restrained use of American military power. For 20 years, that’s been a minority position in Washington, DC. Many Beltway bandits have never met a war they didn’t want America to enter.
Those days are over.
Elbridge Colby is one of the few conservative thinkers in DC who embrace the restrained use of our military. Tucker Carlson interviewed him recently, and if you want a glimpse of what our military strategy will look like for the next four years, take a listen.
🥓 Fall for an Autumn Soup (with bacon)
Unlike traditional cheddar-ale soups, this tasty one has a more beer-pronounced profile. Originally published in my book Bourbon and Bacon, this is one of my favorites once the leaves start to fall.
INGREDIENTS
6 hickory-smoked bacon slices, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup bottled puréed roasted garlic
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 quarts milk
2 (12 oz) cans brown ale
1 lb. white American cheese, shredded
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 lb. aged white Chedar cheese, shredded and divided
3 small baking potatoes (about 1 and a quarter lb.)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley
METHOD:
(1) Cook bacon in an 8-quart Dutch oven over medium heat eight minutes or until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in Dutch oven. (2) Stir in flour and next three ingredients. Gradually whisk in milk; bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Add ale. Bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Gradually add American cheese, stirring, constantly, until cheese melts before each addition. (3) Add cream cheese, stirring constantly, until melted. Add half of Cheddar cheese, stirring, constantly, until smooth. Keep warm. (4) Preheat oven to 425°. Scrub potatoes. Cut potatoes into quarter-inch thick fries; Pat dry with paper towels. Place fries in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper, tossing to coat. Spread potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes or until golden brown, and crisp, turning once. (5) Ladle hot soup into bowls. Top with fries, remaining half of cheddar cheese, bacon, green, onions, and parsley.
HANDS-ON TIME: 1 hour, 9 min.
🥃 Parting Shots
If you’re new to Tastes of Victory, you can access all the ToV newsletters right here on Substack. You can also jump to:
🥓 My opinion pieces on America’s National Security, including my past work in Newsmax, The Washington Times, and other outlets.
🥧 Favorite stories from the archives from my writing for Southern Living, Vanity Fair, Forbes, and Esquire.
🧂 And if you really want to dive into what’s going on with national security in Washington, don’t miss my work as a senior fellow with America First Policy Instituteand as a weekly columnist for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
🥃 Did you want try some of my books? Warning: just reading them might cause unexpected weigh gain. But if you fancy diving into my food trapezoid of bourbon, salt, bacon, and pie they’re right here on Amazon.