The world is becoming increasingly authoritarian. According to Staffan I. Lindberg, Director of the V-Dem Institute, “The level of democracy enjoyed by the average world citizen in 2022 is back to 1986 levels. This means that 72 percent of the world's population, 5.7 billion people, live under authoritarian rule.”

Due to the growing threats of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, America must strengthen its relationships with our Allies and Partners around the world. This means eliminating any rhetoric of purchasing Greenland, annexing the Panama Canal, or making Canada the 51st state. This also means supporting Ukraine's right to defend itself, while pushing for a peaceful, lasting end to the war. Simultaneously, the US must increase diplomacy with Russia, China, Iran and North Korea to stop any future conflict long before it starts.

I served on active duty for over five years, including three years stationed in Germany, where I supported Ukraine and NATO. I support a decrease of at least $100 billion in the US Defense budget, while simultaneously continuing to invest in service member training and equipment modernization to ensure military readiness. We will do this by pushing the Department of Defense to eliminate bloated defense contracts and redundancies.

The people of Palestine experienced violent displacement and dispossession of their land, property, and belongings in the Nakba of 1948. They continue to suffer, while most American politicians vote to send offensive and defensive weapons to Israel and enable an ongoing genocide in Gaza. I support an immediate and permanent ceasefire that sets the stage for peace and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.

The recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state by the United States and the international community is not enough. I believe in a one-state solution within the borders of the former Mandatory Palestine with equal rights for all people. I recommend this democratic state conducts a comprehensive study of what was taken and what was lost and undergoes an extensive reparations process, along with a truth and reconciliation process to move forward peacefully.

Simultaneously, I condemn anti-Palestinian, antisemitic, and anti-Muslim rhetoric. It's incredibly dangerous to conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism. It's equally dangerous to call anyone who disapproves of Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza an antisemite. Our elected officials must not equate Jewish people with Israel's far-right government.

As a veteran of the War in Afghanistan and Operation Freedom's Sentinel, I've witnessed the aftermath of how our "forever wars" perpetuate the cycle of terrorism throughout the world. Rather than using military force, the US must leverage "soft power," in the form of humanitarian assistance, whenever possible. However, Trump and Elon Musk's dismantling of critical USAID programs and other foreign assistance threaten America's future use of "soft power."