Former Pentagon Official Weighs in on Putin, China, and Political Violence in the Western Hemisphere

As global tensions rise, Steven Bucci, former Army Special Forces officer and top Pentagon official, joined Chicago’s Morning Answer with Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson to offer perspective on geopolitics, military strategy, and the risks of misinformation campaigns—past and present.

The conversation began with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent comments dismissing Donald Trump’s view that Vladimir Putin seeks peace. Bucci acknowledged that Zelensky’s skepticism is understandable given the daily bombardments in Ukraine, but emphasized that Trump’s approach to Putin is more strategic than naïve. “Trump’s style is to use friendly rhetoric as a means of opening the door for negotiations,” Bucci explained, noting that this tactic has confused both the Washington press corps and foreign leaders.

He also pushed back on the narrative that Trump misunderstands dictators like Putin or Xi Jinping. “Every president since Putin took power thought they could strike a deal,” Bucci said. “None succeeded. But trying to avoid unnecessary war while pushing for America’s interests is not weakness—it’s the job.” Bucci noted that Trump’s tactics are often mischaracterized by critics who don’t grasp his deal-making philosophy.

Turning to NATO, Bucci addressed a proposal by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to increase defense spending targets to 5% of GDP—a significant jump from the current 2% benchmark. The proposed breakdown would allocate 3% to traditional military assets and 2% to cyber and logistical capabilities. “If they follow through, that would be a huge win for NATO and the West,” Bucci said, adding that serious commitment from European nations would bolster deterrence across the board.

Discussion also turned to the Chinese Communist Party and its current vulnerabilities. Bucci said that although Xi Jinping’s grip on power remains firm, China’s economic slowdown is causing anxiety among its ruling elite. He argued that Trump’s willingness to confront China economically presents a real threat to Beijing’s long-term stability. “They’re nervous because Trump is not playing the same game,” he said. “Their entire economic model has been built on cheating, and Trump is calling them on it.”

Bucci also addressed rising political instability in Latin America, particularly the recent attempted assassination of Colombian conservative presidential candidate Miguel Uribe. He noted that the U.S. has a vital interest in maintaining stability in the Western Hemisphere, both to prevent violence and to control immigration pressures. “We haven’t always played nice with Latin America,” he said, “but more recently we’ve been a positive force. We need to stay engaged.”

In a lighter but still serious segment, the conversation veered into a newly released Pentagon report confirming that U.S. officials deliberately spread disinformation about UFOs in the 1980s to obscure development of the F-117 stealth fighter. The strategy involved feeding false stories to civilians near Area 51, hoping to mislead Soviet intelligence. While the tactic may have worked in the short term, Bucci questioned its long-term consequences.

“Lying to the American people—even with good intentions—always backfires,” he said. “You can’t treat the public like children. Once trust is broken, conspiracy theories fill the void.” Bucci emphasized that the American public deserves transparency and that disinformation campaigns erode credibility at home, regardless of their foreign policy intent.

In sum, Bucci offered a pragmatic outlook on U.S. leadership, emphasizing strength through strategic diplomacy, a realistic view of adversaries, and an insistence on integrity in public messaging. His remarks reinforced a theme increasingly central to today’s global conversation: that strong nations must also be honest ones.

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