Many dream of isolating President Donald Trump, for example, from within the US, the Democrats, particularly of the ‘far left’ variety that believes Obama was the best president ever. Then there are foreign regimes, namely the clerical regime in Tehran which found its dreams coming true during the presidency of Obama and hoped he would remain president for life.

And let us not forget the Hamad regime in Qatar, whose strength and support quickly withered with Obama’s departure. In their war against Trump, the Democrats and the Iranian and Qatari regimes are backed by a massive media push, led by the iconic CNN alongside the US leftist stronghold, MSNBC.

The New York Times provides these two channels with all the reports and articles they need. This internationally recognized newspaper which has expended all of its resources in its war against Trump had, for eight years, praised nearly every measure taken by Barack Obama, and only shyly criticized him.

Within one year, Trump has been able to restore the alliance between America and its allies in the Gulf. This alliance had reached its lowest point during Obama's term, which resulted in the rise of the threat of ISIS and other groups Ahmad al-Farraj

Whatever these media outlets miss, The Washington Post finishes off with nit picking and outrageous bias. This doesn’t mean that I am a defender of Trump, or that he hasn’t done anything wrong. He has and still commits many mistakes and has made it easy for his opponents to criticize him due to his narcissism and stubbornness.

Eight years versus a year and a half

However, let us put aside the leftist media coverage of Trump for now and look at the achievements of the two presidents, Obama versus Trump. Where Obama spent eight years in the White House, Trump has only spent a year and a half until now.

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Records show that Obama struck the nuclear deal with Iran, supported Arab revolutions and sought to strengthen the Muslim Brotherhood – which he failed to achieve at the last moment – so it can rule the Arab world. The results of all these decisions and policies are apparent today, especially in Lebanon, Libya and Syria.

Within one year, Trump has been able to restore the alliance between America and its allies in the Gulf. This alliance had reached its lowest point during Obama's term, which resulted in the rise of the threat of ISIS and other groups. One can only recall the ISIS of last year and what it has been reduced to now. Trump also adopted a tough policy to address Iran’s expansionist approach and insists on redrafting the nuclear agreement. This has contributed to the rapid developments in Syria.

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In a surprising move, Trump is also going to meet with the leader of North Korea which is potentially a turning point for resolving a serious crisis in a critical part of the world. In the United States, figures show that the unemployment rate has dropped to an unprecedented level. Trump has also convinced some major US companies to transfer their factories and businesses to the US. These are numbers and numbers do not lie.

In a nutshell, I do not side with Trump, neither am I against Obama. However, I am not deluded by the misinformation of the leftist media. I look at the achievements and figures, then I make up my mind and so should everybody.

This article is also available in Arabic.

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Dr Ahmad al-Farraj is a Saudi writer with al-Jazirah daily. He holds a Masters degree in literature from the University of Indiana and a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Michigan. He was the Dean of the Arabic Language Institute in King Saud University and a member of the university’s council. He tweets under @amhfarraj.

Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 14:02 - GMT 11:02