For the Last Four Years, America Got The Middle East Right

Joe Biden’s approach to the Middle East will likely be very different than Donald Trump’s. But should it be? For some, the Trump legacy was the right approach: A transactional style that resulted in a host of political and diplomatic victories, including normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab states. It was also selectively aggressively when it came to the death of the leader of the Islamic State or sanctions against Iran that, some say, blunted Tehran’s ambitions and reduced its power in the region. But others, including many prominent members of Biden's transition team, see the last four years as a failure of strategy and leadership. They argue that Trump's personalized approach to the Middle East eroded America's moral agency and gave cover to authoritarian leaders. To them, Trump’s stance on Iran emboldened hardliners, while its staunch support for Israeli interests isolated American allies and undermined the Palestinians. So, as the Biden team gets going, we debate whether Trump got the Middle East right.
Post-Debate
Winner
Against the Motion
59 %
37 %
For the Motion
4 %
Undecided
Pre-Debate
Against the Motion
47 %
31 %
For the Motion
22 %
Undecided
Breakdown
Winner
Against the Motion
59 %
Against the Motion
47% - Remained For the Against Side
4% - Swung From the For Side
8% - Swung From Undecided
For the Motion
37 %
For the Motion
0% - Swung From the Against Side
22% - Remained For the For Side
14% - Swung From Undecided
Undecided
4 %
Undecided
0% - Swung From the Against Side
4% - Swung From the For Side
0% - Remained Undecided
Post-Debate
Winner
For the Motion
100 %
0 %
Undecided
0 %
Against the Motion
Pre-Debate
For the Motion
50 %
0 %
Undecided
50 %
Against the Motion
Breakdown
Winner
For the Motion
100 %
For the Motion
50% - Swung From the Against Side
50% - Remained For the For Side
0% - Swung From Undecided
Undecided
0 %
Undecided
0% - Swung From the Against Side
0% - Swung From the For Side
0% - Remained Undecided
Against the Motion
0 %
Against the Motion
0% - Remained For the Against Side
0% - Swung From the For Side
0% - Swung From Undecided
About The Debaters
Main Points
For The Motion
Against The Motion