John,

Yes, that fist bump. We all saw it, and we all had mixed emotions about President Biden’s meeting with Mohammed bin Salman/MBS.

Before I get into that, let me just address one thing that we as Americans – all of us, myself included – are guilty of: We think the world revolves around the United States, that we are the only ones who matter, and what we say goes.

But folks, that is not how the world works – believe me, I know! I have spent the majority of my adult life traveling the globe, both as an active duty combat soldier and, more recently, as a tourist. We as Americans need to change the way we perceive foreign policy.

Foreign diplomacy is not black and white, and it can be – in fact it usually is – very ugly. Does the President like MBS? No, of course not – MBS is a slithering worm who slaughters innocent people and forces children into starvation. That is who MBS is, and President Biden knows that.

But what President Biden also knows is that the United States forcing regime change has gotten us nowhere – in fact, it has all too often set us back.

President Biden also knows that Saudi Arabia is one of the wealthiest, most powerful nations in the Middle East, and that it is better for America’s national security to be able to negotiate with them as allies, as opposed to the alternative.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a monarchy, and MBS is next in line for the throne. By all measures, it appears that he is already running the show. So, what President Biden decided to do was both strategic and effective, despite what FOX propaganda would have you believe.

First things first: President Biden does not play games. He looked MBS in the eye and told him, “We know you killed Jamal Kashogi, and we have not, nor will we ever, forget that.”

MBS, of course, denied it, and took offense to the President's assessment, but as I mentioned, he's a slithering worm, and that's what they do.

Next, President Biden addressed the human rights violations perpetrated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and let it be known that the U.S. will never accept that as the status quo … that if the Crown Prince wants to keep relations between our two nations in good standing, he must work hard to change things.

Once this very hostile part of the conversation was over, the two leaders focused on the issues that they do agree on: Namely, Iran, and making sure that country never gets its hands on a nuclear weapon. This conversation is a must-have, it’s a huge security issue not just for us, but for the entire free world.

When it comes to protecting America and our allies, President Biden does not mess around. His job, above all else, is to keep us safe – and with him at the helm, we can rest easy.

Let’s lighten the mood a little and focus on those spectacular images NASA recently gifted us. The different solar systems billions of miles away have had me really geeked out!

I am fascinated; I can't stop thinking about what’s out there. It has also left me feeling so grateful to the scientific community for the work that they do and the exploration that they share with us.

I was in D.C. this week, and in my hotel, there was a conference for young women in the aerospace industry. Let me tell you, it is pretty humbling when you’re surrounded by geniuses like I was!

Our future as a country is in great hands, and I can't wait to see how the future unfolds … and who knows what other life forms we may come across?

Sappers clear the way, Airborne all the way!

--Richard