Staff Reports
This week’s geopolitical theater features President Trump once again showing that when it comes to pushing back against socialist leaders, he’s as tough as a two-dollar steak. Colombian President Gustavo Petro may have thought he could play a game of chicken, but all he ended up doing was dancing in the path of a freight train.
The saga kicked off with two repatriation flights full of Colombian nationals who were identified as criminals but decided to make themselves at home in the U.S. Petro, apparently channeling his inner virtue-signaling leftist, refused to let these flights land in Colombia. He expressed his indignation on social media, proclaiming that the U.S. cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals and demanding that the U.S. establish some sort of “dignified” treatment protocol for these individuals. It’s remarkable how quickly the “dignity” card gets played when criminals are involved.
Colombian President Loses Game of Chicken with Trump, Offers to Fly Back Illegals on His Own Plane 6 Minutes Later via @WestJournalism https://t.co/Wu0edWt9yK
— Beri (@sniffydogs) January 27, 2025
Within moments, Trump responded in true fashion—derailing Petro’s grandstanding with a well-aimed counterstrike. In a statement on Truth Social, Trump lambasted the Colombian president. He didn’t mince words when he called out Petro for jeopardizing U.S. national security while simultaneously showcasing how vastly unpopular he is in his own country. One wonders if Petro thought it was a good idea to poke the bear while it was busy munching on its election victory trophy.
Trump’s proposed sanctions were nothing short of spectacular. Among his crowning jewels were a 25 percent tariff on all goods coming from Colombia—a rate that would escalate to 50 percent faster than a Colombian coffee brewing in a rush. Plus, he decided to throw in a travel ban for all Colombian government officials, giving the country’s leadership something to think about other than virtue-signaling retorts.
Petro, sensing the weight of his mistakes and facing the music, scrambled to save face faster than a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Just mere minutes after Trump’s announcement, he caved like a cheap lawn chair and declared he would accept the criminals back after all. Even further, Petro graciously offered to send his presidential plane to give these deportees a “dignified” return. The irony must be rich, considering that one of his supporters might not feel particularly dignified once they end up sharing a seat with someone who just rented their space in prison.
In the end, it seems Gustavo Petro learned a valuable lesson about virtue signaling and tough realities of international relations. Just remember—when the rubber meets the road, it turns out the president of the United States isn’t the one to mess with. Whether it’s tariffs, travel bans, or turning criminals around 180 degrees, President Trump continues to make clear that his administration is not in the business of backing down. The world may think it knows the game, but with Trump, it always seems to discover a new level of play.
