But listening to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) sketch out his border policies on Monday, it was clear that the GOP field owes quite a lot to the 43rd president – and specifically to his “war on terrorism.”

No, not Bush’s “either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists” theory of the case. But DeSantis (and many of his rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination) have embraced the former president’s “unwilling or unable” doctrine, knowingly or not. …

The Bush administration was envisioning military action inside potentially non-consenting sovereign states. Now, more than two decades after 9/11, the same Republican field that has largely repudiated his foreign policy is embracing one of its key principles when it comes to battling the opioid crisis.

[The problem here is that there aren’t many other options against the cartels. They shoot across the border at the US and operate with impunity within Mexico, whose government seems either “unable or unwilling” to impose order and security. We can call this a Bush doctrine, or perhaps just common sense when it comes to securing our border. — Ed]