Apparently Epshteyn Failed Basic Math: 65.8 million is more than 62.9 million.

Epstheyn’s recent laudatory comments for Trump’s decision torecognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel are among the only words of admiration this decision has garnered.  Indeed, other than a missile launch by North Korea, there is no other action taken by a world leader that has shown the power to bring together the rest of the world together in almost unanimous condemnation. 

The president was very vocal throughout the 2016 campaign in his promise to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the United States embassy to Jerusalem. The American people elected Donald Trump and his agenda to the presidency. Therefore, by fulfilling another campaign promise, the president is carrying out the will of his constituents. 

This is utterly at odds with the facts, and it’s important to note, since this is a rationale that is often invoked to defend Trump’s positions and even to suggest that the nearly two dozen separate accusations by women of improper behavior, including (by Trump’s own taped confession) sexual assault, are irrelevant.

Actually, it’s not at odds with the “facts”; it’s at odds with a fact…the fact: Trump lost the popular vote.

To the extent that the election was a referendum on any particular personal or policy matter, Trump lost by three million votes.

One can argue whether or not voters were voting in large part—or any part—on the candidates’ positions vis-à-vis the capital of Israel.  But if Epshteyn wants to suggest that the election was a determination of “the will of [the] constituents”, they were with her, not him. 

 That is just one reason for why the president’s action on Jerusalem  was correct.

Another is that this president is supporting a close and important international ally. Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East. It’s continued strength and survival are important to the United States not just symbolically but also in terms of America’s national security.

Further, the president is driving toward peace through strength. The president has been clear that he and his administration remain committed to peace in the Middle East.This decisive move shows that America and her allies are not going to back down to threats of violence.

The arguments against the president’s decision center on this concern that violence will be escalated.

Well, Jerusalem has not been recognized as the Israeli capital up until now and, sadly, there has been plenty of violence in Israel, the Middle East, America and the world as a whole.

This is a nearly-textbook case of fallacious, illogical reasoning: no recognition of Jerusalem at the same time as violence means that recognition of Jerusalem will mean less violence (or at least not more violence), not only in Israel, but the world.  It’s all the more breathtaking in its idiocy because Epshteyn doesn’t even pretend to have a rationale for suggesting that there is reason to suspect his thinking is sound.  Why will recognizing Jerusalem reduce violence?  Who knows?  Not, it seems, Epshteyn.

 Here is the bottom line: it is about time that the United States take bold and decisive actions in international affairs. The prospect of violence cannot make us, the only true superpower in the world, afraid to do the right thing. In this case, that right thing is recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of our close friend Israel.

Notice that Epshteyn has not provided a single actual reason for why Trump’s action is in any way “decisive” or will do anything to secure the Middle East.  Indeed, he has now seemingly turned on his own argument, saying that there might be a prospect of violence given this decision, but that it’s still “the right thing.”

The bottom line?  This is a tour-de-force in fallacious reasoning.