Patrick Cronin shares his reflections as America reaches 250 years since its establishment. He warns that “we are a great power,” so when the “United States retreats, the world suffers.” He also encourages the American people to not “retreat to our personal lives,” and he says we need to “be active” to ensure the Republic survives. He notes that “we can self-correct . . . we owe it to our younger citizens, to those who have not experienced the prosperity and optimism of the US.”
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Black smoke rises from the area of Gazprom Neft’s Moscow oil refinery on the southeastern outskirts of Moscow on June 18, 2026. (Getty Images)