Trump’s tough foreign policy would make Greece, world safer, says ex-president’s adviser

WASHINGTON, DC – by Petros Kasfikis/To Vima

The presidential relationship between Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdogan has had its ups and downs, revealing a complex dynamic of affinities and tensions.

Despite occasional disagreements and political differences, the closeness of their ties was often underscored by informal “son-in-law diplomacy,” involving communication between Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Berat Albayrak, Trump’s son-in-law and son-in-law. Erdogan. former Minister of Finance.

However, Turkey’s revisionist regional agenda has raised concerns among American voters, particularly those with a keen interest in the Eastern Mediterranean. This diverse group includes Greek-Americans, Jewish-Americans, evangelical Christians, Armenian-Americans, and Kurdish-Americans.

Particularly among the Greek-American community, Donald Trump has achieved high ratings in polls, gaining support in 2020 from the nonpartisan political organization United Hellenic Voters of America.

Christos Marafatsos, a longtime economic and outreach advisor to President Trump and several prominent conservative organizations, sought to reassure the Greek-American community.

Speaking to “To Vima” on the sidelines of CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference), Mr. Marafatsos stressed that Trump, politically, had taken a strong stance against Erdogan. He argued that the former president had implemented a strategic shift by prioritizing Greece in the eastern Mediterranean during his term, challenging perceptions of unwavering support for Erdogan.

As we enter election season, how do you gauge your performance and what signals are you receiving nationally?

Look, if the election were held today, President Trump would win it by a wide margin. It is a fact. We all know it. Joe Biden knows it. Day after day, President Trump is making progress. And day after day, we have Joe Biden in the White House sort of digressing. The world is losing confidence in Joe Biden. He is not capable of acting as we expect of the president. Someone like Donald Trump, we see that. Earlier, we were here at CPAC, and he had a one-hour slot to speak to us. He stood there for two and a half hours and told us he was going to work for the American people. This is what Americans expect from a president.

So we’re in a great place. I think the Trump campaign is doing a fantastic job. They are extremely well set up for 2024 to win it. We are extremely prepared. The president is willing to do whatever he can to become the next president. We see it day after day. He beats the trials; he’s leading in the polls, and he’s actually leading to victory in November. So I think we win by a landslide. And I think Joe Biden is lucky the election isn’t happening today.

Donald Trump enjoys popularity among Greek-Americans, an immigrant community, despite his tough stance on immigration. Do you see a paradox in this, given the accusations of anti-migrant rhetoric and lack of empathy?

As a Greek-American and as a family who arrived here in the 1950s, like many of our fathers and grandfathers before us who were so successful in the United States, this question is very important to me. And you raise a good point. Most Greek-Americans support Donald Trump. We conducted polls in 2016 and 2020 throughout the elections, and we found that more than 70% of Greek-Americans support this president. And this for the following reasons. Because he’s a businessman. We know he’s going to get up every day and work for the American people. As Greeks, what we did was we came to this country and we built it. We move around the obstacles that life throws at us and say that we are here to create a better generation for ourselves and our families. And that’s what Donald Trump has done for this country.

And as Greeks, we want someone to be there and fight for us. And when it comes to immigration, it’s an important topic. We came to this country as legal immigrants. Donald Trump is pro-immigration. He is pro-legal immigration. Right now, we’re seeing almost 250,000 people arriving at our southern border, and we have no idea who they are.

This is one of the biggest concerns, not only in terms of national security, not only in terms of jobs and economic growth, but who are these people in terms of security? Who are they? Where do they come from ? What do they want? Do they have their best interests in America? We do not know it. Donald Trump will realize this. And as Greeks, as immigrants who came to this country and worked year after year, decades after decades, to give our families a better life, that is the only thing we can ask for. A place where we can feel safe in America. A place where our jobs are protected. And a place where our children are safe.

I want to follow up on your response; Many Greek-Americans came to the United States illegally, but nevertheless managed to serve their families and adopted countries well. So is there any reason to criticize Trump’s rhetoric against illegal immigrants?

Regardless of the administration, even if you look at the policies of the Joe Biden administration, they have policies to protect that border. Whether left or right, Democrat or Republican, it is the job of every president, one of his first jobs, to know and put in place a system to enter our country with a manner that is predictable, permissible and enforceable by us. . Joe Biden does not do that. President Trump wants immigration. He calls people to come here and start a new life. So, I think that’s a great question. Donald Trump promised to be a president for everyone. And not just Americans, but we see the world asking: where is he? We want him back. You know, there is a major war going on on almost every continent right now. The world is no better than it was four years ago. So, step by step, the first thing a president should do is implement his existing policies. He knows how to do that. He’s a good businessman and we look forward to having him in 2024.

Speaking about the world, President Trump suggested he would “encourage” Russia to attack countries that do not meet NATO spending requirements. Should U.S. allies in Europe be concerned about diminishing their commitment to the Alliance if Trump is re-elected?

Yes. President Trump has repeatedly said that a strong NATO is what we need in this world. And that’s what he wants. And that’s what he will do. We heard Donald Trump comment on NATO. And this is because we have member states that are part of NATO and are not paying their first fair share of 2%. The United States is a major contributor to NATO. And you know who else is? Greece. They contribute their 2%. But this is not the case for the majority of NATO member countries. And who does it affect? This affects countries like the United States and Greece, which pay their fair share.

He therefore wants a strong NATO. In fact, NATO was strongest when Donald Trump was president from 2016 to 2020. It is weak today. And Donald Trump feels it. He understands it. And he wants the world to be better and safer. And we achieve that when we come together. We already have an existing organization. There is no need to create a new one. But what he’s trying to say, and what he says over and over again, is that we have a policy. We have an organization in place to protect us during wars and conflicts. NATO is doing nothing at the moment. Their capacity is limited because they do not have the necessary resources. So, if Donald Trump becomes president, he would ensure from his first day that NATO member states pay their fair share. And that makes us all safer.

So, are you suggesting that these “threats” are just campaign rhetoric that we shouldn’t take seriously?

He wants a stronger NATO, and he knows that to achieve that, the members who are part of it, who reap the benefits, must ensure that they pay their fair share. Because you know what? When Donald Trump was president for four years, we didn’t have a war. In fact, he arrested them all. And now it’s quite the opposite.