A National Security 'To Do' List for President-Elect Trump
As President-elect Trump mulls cabinet appointments, those who will help shape and police national security have their work cut out for them. Challenges facing national security continue to be front and center on Main Street and in Washington. Whether it is the constant threat of terrorist actions, or the war against cops, security matters continue to be a primary reason Americans are losing sleep.
That’s why the formulation and implementation of a valid and reliable national security plan and team will be imperative. As such, these are the top five issues that will require prompt and effective implementation plans within the President-elect's first 100 days in the Oval Office.
1. The Police Community Divide
Cities across the U.S. continue to wrestle with the role and authority of modern day law enforcement. Setting the tone and path for the future will require leadership from our commander in chief. Specifically, a White House selected facilitator will need to enlist the help of our informal community leaders, from barbers to beat cops, to begin navigating safely and expeditiously to a place free of the anti-police sentiment that fuels our communities today. So-called community leaders and high ranking/out of touch police administrators need to sit this one out.
2. Islamic Terrorists and the Omnipresent Threat on American Soil
The clock is ticking and we need a forthright, multi-pronged approach, free of political correctness, aimed at re-defining the see something say something mantra. Monitoring social media, given its role in recruitment, and a true public-private partnership with America's major corporations are a few effective countermeasures to start with. Tech-giants including Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) and Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) can play a larger, valuable role in keeping America safe.
3. The Global Cyber War is Raging
The historic Trump vs. Clinton presidential race made it crystal clear we are in the genesis of a cyber war with non-state actors from countries such as Russia, China and North Korea. The new POTUS will need to significantly improve our personnel recruiting efforts for the U.S. cyber defense team. The U.S. Department of Defense, the CIA and the FBI need to solicit the brightest white hat cyber technologists into our corner in to safeguard our personal and public infrastructures. We then need our government agencies to work in concert to outsmart the enemy we cannot see. Further, Trump must draw upon his business acumen to educate chief executives about their own cyber risks and encourage them to preemptively fortify their systems.
4. Gun Violence, Gun Control & the Right to Bear Arms
Perhaps the most long overdue unresolved matter threatening our way of life is guns. Every day, 90 Americans are killed from gun violence, as noted by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, leaving an epidemic the President-elect is inheriting and will need to judiciously and expeditiously manage. While this may be a difficult pill to swallow, it is our constitutional right to bear arms. That said we need to extend this right to only those free of mental illness given its causal relation to gun violence.
5. Emergency Healthcare Preparedness
Our new President will need to appoint the most diversely intelligent Surgeon General in history to defend our ill-prepared country from threats ranging from biological agents to pandemics. We simply can't wait for Islamic terrorists to exploit this blatant vulnerability, or for the next virus, whether it be Zika, Ebola or a Superbug, to test our ability to combat an outbreak. The authority has been granted. Now it's time for action.
Paul is the author and lead editor for Jane's Publishing's book "Workplace Security” and Contributing Editor for Jane's. He is co-author of "Silent Safety – Best Practices for Protecting the Affluent”. He appears regularly on the FOX Business Network as well as other national television and radio outlets.
Paul holds the distinction of Honorary Assistant Attorney General for the State of Louisiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, a Master of Public Administration, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy.