At Last, A ”Golden Dome” to ”Save Lives, Not Avenge Them”

Four decades ago, President Ronald Reagan declared that it would be better “to save lives than to avenge them.” For that purpose, he unveiled a “Strategic Defense Initiative.” Tragically, his vision for protecting our country and its population has not been fully actualized, even though the threat we face from enemy missiles has metastasized dramatically.  

Yesterday, however, President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth outlined a “Golden Dome” anti-missile system reprising a plan known as “Brilliant Pebbles” that would have been in place thirty years ago if Bill Clinton had not cancelled it. It will include space-based sensors and interceptors – by far, the most effective way to dissuade attackers from launching missiles against us.

Importantly, Mr. Trump has given the job of deploying the Golden Dome before his term is up to an operational commander, not a research agency. Let’s roll!

This is Frank Gaffney.