President Donald Trump on Thursday praised the decision to drop a massive bunker-busting bomb in Afghanistan as an example of the “total authorization” he has given his military commanders. But such boasts only deepen defense experts' concerns that Trump is ceding the military too much influence over the United States' actions abroad — creating the danger of an unbalanced policy that gives short shrift to interests like diplomacy. - Politico
President Trump on Thursday called the recent high-profile military actions overseas proof that he’s fulfilling his promise to let defense leaders act decisively without interference from politicians. – Military Times
Charles Krauthammer writes: We’ve just witnessed one about-face. With a president who counts unpredictability as a virtue, he could well reverse course again. For now, however, the traditionalists are in the saddle. U.S. policy has been normalized. The world is on notice: Eight years of sleepwalking is over. America is back. – Washington Post
David Ignatius writes: President Trump, after a mostly disastrous first two months, has had a good run these past two weeks in foreign policy. He acted decisively in Syria, gained China as a possible partner in dealing with North Korea, repaired relations with NATO and began addressing the serious tensions with Russia. Why is Trump making better decisions now? And what could disrupt his progress toward a more coherent foreign policy? – Washington Post