In 1975, horror struck. Communist leader Pol Pot, educated in France, took over Cambodia. In four years, he “transformed” it into a “classless society,” abolished private property, religion, and rights, killed 1.5 million people, and left 20,000 graves. He was overthrown in 1979. The world – liberals and conservatives – decried the horror, said we should have done something, and called it “killing fields.”
In 1979, for a period of 13 years, a brazen, brutal, horrifying civil war raged in El Salvador, which was led by Communist revolutionaries called the FMLN. What started as hundreds of deaths became 75,000 killings, 8,000 disappearances, and death squads killing protestors. The world – liberals and conservatives – decried the horror, said we should have done something, more “killing fields.”
In 1979, a radical Islamic “revolution,” a ruthless totalitarian theocracy, took over Iran. Since that date, 100,000 citizens seeking basic rights have been killed. For 37 years, the world has decried the horror – compounded by the threat that it would go nuclear. In 2025 and early 2026, as protestors decided freedom was more important than life itself, 36,000 were mowed down by the Ayatollah’s troops.
On February 28, 2026, an American President, Donald J. Trump, said enough. After watching Iran’s terrorism spread, kill hundreds of thousands, watching them butcher 36,000 innocents at home, watch them threaten nuclear war on a global scale, he eliminated their supremely evil leader.
The world – ever fickle France and liberals of all stripes – now decry the end of this evil force, as Iranians – virtually all celebrating – cry tears of joy for potential freedom, an end to executions.
Mankind is, by nature, capable of great virtue, acts that profoundly better the world. Ronald Reagan brought down the Soviet Union, freeing 300 million souls from Communism. President Trump just freed 93 million Iranians, and likely – as other regimes and terror groups fold – more.
But mankind is also capable of enormous hypocrisy. Never doubt the power of good people to upend evil and restore normalcy, but do not doubt the power of good people to do nothing either – to cower, conflate the truth with ideology, default to conformity, and indulge communism.
When all is done, when history of this time is written – as has happened in the case of Ronald Reagan’s courageous, unwavering leadership – the world will understand that President Trump’s convictions saved the Middle East, set a standard for bold action against evil, and brought Iran’s “killing fields” to an end. This is not over, but progress has been made against one of the most despicable, immoral, ruthless, and evil regimes in human history. Thank you, Mr. President.
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, Maine attorney, ten-year naval intelligence officer (USNR), and 25-year businessman. He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (North Country Press, 2018), and “Cherish America: Stories of Courage, Character, and Kindness” (Tower Publishing, 2024). He is the National Spokesman for AMAC. Today, he is running to be Maine’s next Governor (please visit BobbyforMaine.com to learn more)!
