Eyes Wide Shut

Peter Baker, the New York Times chief White House correspondent, has a worthwhile piece out this week. (Link at bottom). It’s about president Trump’s repeated use of the word “evil” to describe just about anyone who criticizes him. Evil is a dangerous word because it demonizes the “other” and gives license to hate and violence. Sadly, we all know this now. Yet, Baker shared something I didn’t know.

Trump’s defense department pulled all of its planned attendees from this week’s Aspen Security Conference. I’ve attended this annual event a couple of times. The speakers and panel participants represent a national security nerd’s nirvana of current and former high-ranking government officials and thought leaders from across the spectrum of security ideologies and political parties. You attend because you want to hear the latest positions on present and coming threats and because you care about securing the nation far more than you care about where or from whom the solutions come. But not the Trump administration.

They care only to hear from those they agree with, not those “evil” people from other ideologies, who might even be, God help us, globalists - who think allies are important to security. This Eyes Wide Shut, blind approach to national security is the equivalent of willful ignorance. A hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil approach to national security deprives this administration of fresh solutions and expert analyses. Not listening to alternate takes from experts because you think their opposing ideas are “evil”, makes our nation less safe, and makes fools of the officials who pulled out of this week’s Aspen conference.

Link to Peter Baker’s piece: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/us/politics/trump-political-enemies-evil.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare