Foreign desk: Trump Can End Ukraine War

Pundits claim a re-elected Donald Trump will “cut off aid to Ukraine, give away its territory, and deal directly with Vladimir Putin to impose an ignominious ‘peace’ on the country,” observes David J. Urban & Mike Pompeo at The Wall Street Journal. Yet there’s “no evidence” of that — and “much evidence to the contrary”: Trump lifted the Obama arms embargo on Ukraine, sent it Javelin missiles that proved critical and backed Speaker Mike Johnson’s passing more aid to Kyiv. In office, he can “unleash America’s energy potential,” eroding Russia’s “war-crimes budget,” and impose “real” sanctions, “bulk up” the US defense industry, revitalize NATO and lift restrictions on Ukraine’s weapons. “This will re-establish a position of strength, which Putin will understand means the war must end.” 

Libertarian: Secret Service Is Not Underfunded

“While there is likely much blame to go around” after the July 13 Trump assassination attempt, “the idea that the [Secret Service] is starved for resources doesn’t hold much water,” argues Reason’s Joe Lancaster. In testimony to Congress, USSS now-ex-Director Kimberly Cheatle “indicated that understaffing was an issue,” but “before members of Congress respond by breaking out the federal checkbook,” noted that “Secret Service real spending has grown from $2.34 billion in 2014 to $3.62 billion in 2024,” up 55% in 10 years, per the Cato Institute’s Chris Edwards. Says Lancaster: “It should be clear that the problem at the Secret Service is not a lack of funding, and lawmakers should resist any calls to throw more taxpayer money at it.”

From the right: Kam’s Just Another Radical Lefty

Kamala Harris “is Bernie Sanders with lipstick,” argues Liz Peek at The Hill. Her “progressive left” record includes “embracing Medicare for All when it was in vogue and the Green New Deal before Americans saw billions of dollars being thrown at fulfilling unpopular electric vehicle mandates.” She also supports “the right to an abortion anytime, anywhere, regardless of fetal viability and with no requirements that a certified doctor perform the procedure.” On crime, she backed “Prop 47, a California initiative that decriminalized many crimes, the result of which has turned the state into a perpetual crime scene, her own city of San Francisco now being one of the most devastated.” 

Veep watch: Shapiro = Harris’ Best Bet

Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-Pa.) is Vice President Kamala Harris’ best bet for a running mate, explains National Review’s Jim Geraghty. “The formula is simple”: If Harris “wins two or three of the ‘Blue Wall’ states” (Michigan, Wisconsin, as well as Shapiro’s Pennsylvania), “she’s very likely to finish with 270 or more electoral votes; if she doesn’t win them, she’s almost certainly toast.” And Shapiro’s “approval rating in [his] state is still high (57%), with much more support among Republicans and independents than your average Democrat.” He’d also make history as the first Jewish vice president. But breaking barriers and other qualifications like governing or foreign-policy experience are all secondary to the main task: helping “get Harris to 270 electoral votes.” Right now, that looks like Shapiro.

Tech beat: Boost Cybersecurity, Everybody

“Today, we must incentivize companies to implement proper cybersecurity, and not hesitate to levy sizable financial penalties when negligence puts consumers at risk,” warns Steve Weisman at The Hill. Beyond the recent CrowdStrike fiasco, the threat of “massive computer attacks by cybercriminals and foreign nation-state adversaries are now common, yet we seem to learn little each time.” E.g.: In “a required regulatory filing,” AT&T “disclosed that it had suffered a significant data breach affecting pretty much all of its 109 million customers.” Plainly, “steps should be taken to protect the security of our data, networks and systems,” such as “strong, unique passwords for all accounts,” and “multi-factor identification so when a password is compromised, the cybercriminal will not be able to access the account.” — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board