Dana Rohrabacher for Secretary of State

Beth Johnson

President-elect Donald Trump’s appointments to key cabinet posts have been a pleasant surprise for conservatives who previously viewed his candidacy with an askewed eye.

Border security champion Sen. Jeff Sessions, who boasts a lifetime 94% rating from the American Conservative Union, will do well upholding the rule of law as Attorney General. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has long been held in high regard by Red State and its readers and will undoubtedly protect America’s interests as the new United Nations representative. At the same time, devout constitutionalist Sen. Ted Cruz has met with Mr. Trump in New York and many remain optimistic that he will be selected as the nation’s newest Supreme Court justice.

The one key appointment that has yet to be defined is Secretary of State.  There appears to be a battle between campaign loyalists who want former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and establishment Republicans who are backing Mitt Romney. However, the true candidate that deserves conservative support is neither of these celebrity figureheads — it’s [mc_name name=”Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)” chamber=”house” mcid=”R000409″ ].  

Rohrabacher, a stalwart conservative from Orange County, California, cut his political teeth in the early 1960s supporting Ronald Reagan for Governor of the Golden State.  He worked on the 1976 Reagan campaign and again in 1980.  After Reagan’s resounding victory, Rohrabacher went on to work in the White House, where he was part of a historic speech writing team.  Rohrabacher used his perch inside the White House to champion the Reagan Doctrine.  

After nearly eight years working for the Gipper, Rohrabacher ran for Congress.  With the support of Oliver North, he pulled an upset victory over an establishment candidate in 1989 and has served in Congress ever since. He has been on the Foreign Relations Committee for almost two decades, championing human rights and liberty abroad.  

The truth is that Rohrabacher is the only candidate currently in contention who can bridge the gap between the old-line hawkish foreign policy establishment and the more libertarian views of the Trump campaign.  

Rohrabacher is an expert in Middle East policy, a strong supporter of Israel, and a hard-core opponent of the terror movements fomenting around the world.  Since the 1980s, he has promoted a free and independent Afghanistan. As such, he has been critical of the way the State Department and others have conducted the war on terror.  

As a young man, Rohrabacher championed the rollback of communism and today he is in support of total victory against Islamic terror. Critics have questioned the Cold Warrior’s commitment to detaining Russia, with a Politico hit piece calling him “Putin’s Favorite Congressman.” Of course, that is merely a smear put out by critics, among who want to impose a no-fly zone in Syria with the potential of shooting down Russian MIGs.  Rohrabacher sees Russia fighting its own war on Islamic terror at home and sees the potential of a united front against Al Qaeda and ISIS.

Rohrabacher’s ascension to the head of Foggy Bottom would send shockwaves through a foreign policy establishment that has kowtowed to dictators and despots.  He is the perfect fit both for the Trump administration and the Republican Party at large. Here’s to hoping that the president-elect will pick the sensible conservative candidate for this important job rather than a hawkish celebrity figurehead. After all, the security of our nation depends on it.