President Trump is the author and preeminent practitioner of The Art of the Deal. The first year of his second presidency has been marked by many of them. 

The question is: What happens when the other party to “the deal” lies, cheats or otherwise defeats its “object and purpose”?

For example, the Iranian regime is clearly not complying with the basis for ending what the President dubbed “the 12-day war.” China, Russia and North Korea are helping the mullahs’ regime rebuild its military capabilities, evidently including their nuclear weapons program.

Hamas is neither disarming nor relinquishing power in Gaza, let alone disbanding. And the Chinese Communist Party is asserting that it will continue to deny rare earth minerals to American companies deemed to be “dual-use.”  

There must be consequences for such deal-breaking, or there will be a lot more of it.   

This is Frank Gaffney.