The day after the Republicans’ defeat in the U.S. midterm elections, Christopher Ruddy, founder and CEO of the American media group Newsmax, published an op-ed on Donald Trump on Thursday. In this piece titled “Trump Is a Winner and Right on Iran”, the leader defends the American president’s foreign policy, justifies his military strike against Iran’s nuclear program, and challenges criticisms made within the administration itself. For him, the Republicans’ electoral setback in no way calls Donald Trump’s leadership into question.
“Trump showed true leadership”
Christopher Ruddy does not seek to downplay Tuesday’s election results. He acknowledges that the Republican defeat was particularly severe, while recalling that he had anticipated such a scenario. But he refuses to attribute responsibility to Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran.
The Newsmax CEO instead considers that the American president made a historic decision by choosing to target Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. “Donald Trump showed true leadership at one of the most decisive moments in American history”, he writes, before describing his choice as “courageous, necessary” and asserting that history will vindicate him.
Ruddy notably recalls the American president’s statements, who reaffirmed on Wednesday his determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons: “If I had to do it again, I would have to do it, because in the long term, it’s the only answer. We cannot allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon.”
Iran, a threat Washington could no longer ignore according to Ruddy
In his op-ed, Christopher Ruddy reviews the military strikes launched on February 28 against Iran. He highlights that the International Atomic Energy Agency had expressed serious concerns regarding the Iranian regime’s enriched uranium stockpiles and the restrictions imposed on its inspections.
According to him, Tehran’s nuclear capabilities had reached a sufficiently worrying level to justify military intervention. He believes Iran was dangerously close to the threshold necessary to manufacture a nuclear weapon, even if this assessment does not confirm that the country actually possessed a bomb.
Christopher Ruddy then raises the question of the trust the United States could place in a regime whose leaders have regularly threatened Israel and denounced America as the “Great Satan”. He also rejects the idea that Washington engaged in this confrontation solely to defend Israeli interests.
The Newsmax leader refers to the September 11, 2001 attacks to remind that the United States itself is a target of radical Islamist terrorism. He specifies that these attacks were committed by Al-Qaeda, not Iran, but considers that the threat to Americans goes far beyond the security of Israel alone.
“We are the big target. I repeat: America is the real target”, he insists.
A direct response to JD Vance’s criticisms
The op-ed also contains an explicit critique of Vice President JD Vance. He mentioned polls suggesting that the war against Iran and concerns about adherence to “America First” principles largely contributed to the Republican defeat.
Christopher Ruddy disputes this interpretation and asks to see the studies cited by the vice president. “Which polls? He still hasn’t shared them”, he writes, demanding the data and methods used to reach this conclusion.
The Newsmax CEO claims he has not seen any survey placing these concerns at the top of electoral priorities. On the contrary, he says he has seen several polls showing that a majority of Americans want to definitively prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and support continuing operations.
He nevertheless acknowledges that the war has had significant economic consequences, particularly on gasoline prices. According to him, this increase worsened the purchasing power difficulties of American households and contributed to electoral dissatisfaction.
Ruddy thus distinguishes the rejection of the economic consequences of the conflict from a principled opposition to the firm policy pursued against Tehran.
An electoral defeat that does not condemn the Trump presidency
Christopher Ruddy also refuses to consider the new American political configuration as a disaster for the White House. He recalls that several presidents have governed with a Congress controlled, at least partially, by the opposition.
He notably cites Bill Clinton, whose cooperation with Newt Gingrich’s Republicans allowed the adoption of welfare reform and the achievement of balanced federal budgets. He also mentions Barack Obama’s second presidency, during which Republicans took control of both chambers of Congress.
The Newsmax CEO says he is convinced that Donald Trump has the qualities necessary to negotiate with his political opponents. However, he believes some newly elected Democrats seem more determined to investigate and fight the president than to seek legislative compromises.
For Ruddy, the administration must now improve its communication and provide concrete responses to voters’ concerns, notably on immigration, tariffs, and the cost of living. He calls for strengthening the enforcement of presidential policies rather than abandoning the directions defended by Donald Trump.
“Trump Remains a Winner”: Christopher Ruddy Believes in a New Comeback
In the final lines of his op-ed, Christopher Ruddy reaffirms his confidence in the American president’s ability to overcome this political setback. He recalls that Donald Trump has already experienced several defeats and has regularly managed to return to the forefront.
“In my eyes, Trump remains a winner”, he writes, before adding: “He has a remarkable history of comebacks, and I would not underestimate his ability to succeed again.”
The Newsmax leader especially considers that the decision to strike Iran must be judged by its long-term consequences on U.S. security, not just electoral results.
He believes Washington had to choose between immediately confronting Iran’s nuclear ambitions or risking a future confrontation with a regime possessing atomic weapons and long-range missiles.
“Trump understood this choice. That is true leadership. And I believe history will recognize and judge him accordingly”, concludes Christopher Ruddy.
This op-ed, published Thursday in Newsmax, demonstrates the support Donald Trump retains among some influential figures in the American media, despite the Republican electoral defeat and the divisions that have appeared within his own camp over the war against Iran.
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