Mr. Fred Fleitz, former Chief of Staff of the National Security Council of the United States
On June 27, Mr. Fred Fleitz, Co-President of the Washington Global Strategy Group (WGSG), who served as Chief of Staff and Executive Director of the National Security Council in the first Trump administration, visited our office. This was his second visit to the office since last year, and again he said he was looking forward to the visit so much that he put other invitations on the back burner.
Mr. Fleitz has a close relationship with the Trump administration and is well versed in its policies. He explained the implications of policy decisions, including the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, followed by a wide-ranging exchange of each view.
[Summary]
The Trump administration has initiated an unprecedented number of new policies in its first five months in office. Many of these policies were assisted by draft policies written by think tanks (research institutes) before the 2024 election, including by the AFPI think tank, to which he belongs. These policies are designed to help Trump take back the nation of the United States.
・Immigration Issues
One of the key themes for President Trump is securing the southern border. The root of the problem of the influx of illegal immigrants is a mistake made by the previous Democratic administration. The Biden administration's reluctance to close the border allowed over 11 million illegal migrants to enter the United States. As a result, there was a surge in the smuggling of illegal drugs and crime increased in American cities. Today, fentanyl smuggling has been dramatically reduced and illegal immigration has been stemmed. This is a result of the Trump administration’s policies.
・Attack on Iranian Nuclear Facilities
Regarding the recent U.S. attack on Iran, the Trump administration has shown that it will not hesitate to deploy military force if necessary. The administration has determined that Iran's nuclear program, which has made considerable progress, is a threat. Iran's 60% enrichment of uranium-235 is clearly not for peaceful purposes. Fleitz believes that this attack has set back Iran's nuclear program considerably. President Trump has made a preliminary proposal to Iran for a joint entity on peaceful nuclear development. But Iran rejected it because it wanted to go ahead with its plans to build nuclear weapons.
・War in Ukraine
The Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine was caused by President Biden’s weakness and incompetence. But it is commendable that President Trump is now in a position to have conversations with President Putin to end this conflict. President Trump wants to end Russia’s isolation after the Ukraine War ends and has proposed bringing Russia into the G7. He believes that the cooperation of the countries involved, including Europe, as well as China, and of course Japan, is necessary.
In addition, a wide range of other issues were discussed, including tariffs, North Korea, NATO defense spending, and the Taiwan issue by China, including a question-and-answer session.
[Short CV]
Mr. Fred Fleitz is Vice Chair of AFPI’s center for American Security and Co-President of Washington Global Strategy Group. He served in 2018 as a Deputy Assistant to President Donald Trump and Chief of Staff of the National Security Council. He served in U.S. national security positions for 25 years with the CIA, DIA, the Department of State, and the House Intelligence Committee staff. He is co-editor of the book, “An America First Approach to U.S. National Security”.
(Responsibility: Japan Institute for National Fundamentals)
