By COLIN CLARK
WASHINGTON: Hope for the best; prepare for the worst. It’s a standard military prescription for dealing with a sometimes hostile and usually unpredictable world. It’s also what an African-American chum told me this morning was his plan for life under President Trump.
This guy is a fellow Chicagoan and Cubs fan, so he knows how to cope with uncertainty and dashed hopes while maintaining a persistent faith and optimism — essential ingredients of the American character. It’s a good prescription, given how unexpected is the Republican Party’s powerful sweep of the White House, the Senate and the House.
How concerned are America’s allies, friends and partners with the new shape of American politics? Early this morning I got an email from a senior allied defense official offering my wife and me a spare room in their house. While gently humorous, it also speaks to the great unease among our closest international friends when faced with the surprise and shock of a Trump victory. (OK, no snide remarks about how yet another member of the media missed support for Trump. Few Americans, including Trump supporters, expected him to win — let alone win the trifecta — though they hoped mightily. I had told friends for days that Trump had a real chance of winning, though I did think it unlikely.)
Our NATO allies, whom Trump has repeatedly and markedly disparaged, will be watching every word coming out of the president-elect’s mouth until Jan. 20, when he takes office.
Read the full story at Breaking Defense