Secretary of Defense James Mattis responded to North Korea’s latest ICBM test by saying, “The military remains ready … to provide options if they are necessary.” One of those options may include bolstering the THAAD missile defense system President Trump recently dispatched to South Korea.

While we are talking a good game, and there have been a couple of successful missile defense tests, the truth is that our ability to reliably stop a nuclear attack is still very uncertain, especially if there were multiple launches.

There are two reason why this is true. The most obvious reason is that it is not easy to hit a bullet with another bullet. But the more relevant reason is political.

When Ronald Reagan announced his idea for a space-based defense system to end the mad doctrine of “Mutually Assured Destruction,” the Left and its media allies denounced and mocked it as “Star Wars.” Every year since, the Left has done everything possible to delay or kill the program.

The Left has opposed even the limited systems we currently have. For example, Obama demonstrated his promised “flexibility” to Vladimir Putin by canceling the deployment of a missile defense system to Eastern Europe in an effort to appease the Russians. (Yet the Left accuses Trump of being “Putin’s puppet.”)

Here we are decades after Reagan left office — with Iran and North Korea making major technological advances — and we still don’t have a reliable missile defense because of the Left’s resistance. It is no accident that the media never provides the American people with the truth — that conservatives have pushed for a robust missile defense while Democrats have left us defenseless.

I think it is scandalous that one political party has stood in the way of a truly effective missile shield. I think that is a much bigger scandal than whether someone in Russia hacked John Podesta’s emails or whether Donald Trump posted a funny video of himself wrestling “CNN” to the ground.

If the media were doing their job, the American people would know why we are in this fix, and that would be very bad for the Left.

Obama’s Modern Military

I have often remarked that when the Left’s ideology comes into conflict with reality, the Left demands that reality give way. It’s an amusing (and accurate) phrase, but it is stunning to actually see it in written policy. Thanks to Obama’s modern military, we now have it in black and white.

The Federalist recently obtained a copy of the Army’s latest training manual. Here’s what it says about accommodating transgendered soldiers who have not yet had “gender reassignment” surgery:

All Soldiers should be respectful of the privacy and modesty concerns of others. [Think showers.] However, transgender Soldiers are not required or expected to modify or adjust their behavior based on the fact that they do not “match” other Soldiers.

In other words, everyone else who does not have a problem with biological reality must “modify or adjust” their behavior to accommodate those who do have issues with reality. This is the Left’s agenda.

I am pleased to report that Secretary of Defense Mattis has issued an order delaying this policy for six months. Unfortunately, press reports indicate that the Army and Air Force had requested a two-year delay, but Pentagon leaders worried that “a longer delay would trigger criticism on Capitol Hill.”

Other Headlines

• June job growth exceeded expectations as more than 220,000 new jobs were created.

• President Trump scored a win in court when the same left-wing judge who previously blocked his travel ban was forced to reject a new challenge after the Supreme Court overturned the judge’s injunction.

• 60% of voters support President Trump’s travel ban against six jihadi-infested countries. Just 28% oppose it.

• President Trump is expected to make the pro-life case for trying to save Charlie Gard’s life with British Prime Minister Theresa May.

• Efforts by the Trump administration have cut in half the number of “recalcitrant countries” refusing to accept deported illegal immigrants. The Left often used this as an excuse to justify its weak approach to illegal immigration.

• Trump’s efforts to enforce our immigration laws are making a difference — potential illegal immigrants are “staying put.”

• President Trump infuriated the Left by refusing to continue Obama’s tradition of declaring June “Gay Pride Month.”

• Food stamp usage, which hit record highs under Obama, is plummeting in states that have added work requirements.

• The DNC’s hacked server has still not been examined by investigators looking into alleged Russian hacking of the election. Special Counsel Mueller, call your office!

• Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are opposing efforts to prevent abusive child marriages.

• Progressives are cannibalizing themselves over single-payer socialized medicine.

• I know I had a similar headline last week, but this one is too good to pass up: “Gorsuch Votes 100% Of The Time With Most Conservative Colleague.” Thank you, President Trump!