Win or get out. That seems to be President Trump’s message as he names a hawkish team to lead his foreign policy. Senator Rubio as state secretary, Pete Hegseth at defense, Representative Mike Waltz as national security adviser, and Representative Elise Stefanik at the United Nations  — are no “neo-con” war mongers. They do, though, add muscle to Trump’s “America First” theme by helping allies win for America, rather than micromanage wars from afar. 

Trump says he wants to end wars. His announcement that the former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, and Ambassador Haley would not join his team raised fears that his national security would be dominated by isolationists and President Putin fans. Yet, the likes of Tucker Carlson were overruled in favor of hard-nosed advocates of a muscular approach to world affairs. Unlike yesteryear’s neo-cons, these neo-musculars are wary of combat expeditions. 

The Washington buzz has been that Trump would throw Ukraine under the bus to appease Mr. Putin. A former Green Beret, Mr. Waltz has a more nuanced message. He prefers enforcing energy sanctions on Russia. “I think that will get Putin to the table,” he recently said, adding that “we have leverage, like taking the handcuffs off of the long-range weapons we provided Ukraine as well.” That is a sharp departure from the current policy. 

President Biden heeded Washington’s need assessments before each arms delivery to Ukraine. Even then he limited use in accordance with his “de-escalation” theory. The result is a war of attrition that favors the Kremlin. Mr. Waltz, in contrast, advocates letting Ukraine fight as it sees fit. As Kyiv’s positions improve, Washington will pressure Russia economically. Far from a betrayal of Kyiv, this approach would help Ukraine get the best post-war deal.

The Mideast is due for a similar policy overhaul. Mr. Biden has endlessly pressured Israel on humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Mr. Rubio, in contrast, says he wants Israel to “destroy every element of Hamas they can get their hands on.” The senator told Code Pink agitators that he blamed the Gaza terrorist group for all civilian deaths there. Mr. Waltz, similarly, says “let Israel finish the job,” and “get it over with fast.”

Mr. Trump’s team now also includes Governor Huckabee, named today as the nominee to be ambassador to the Jewish state. Ms. Stefanik heaped scorn on elite university presidents for seeking “context” to justify antisemitism. Turtle Bay cynicism is worse, but we trust the New Yorker to advocate for America at the UN, rather than promote the UN in America. A Security Council “snap back” to revive global sanctions on Iran would be a good start. 

Mr. Biden all but fell asleep at the switch while the Islamic Republic advanced its nuclear program. For four years Mr. Biden blamed Trump for walking away from the 2015 nuclear deal that was, the New York Times once editorialized, “overwhelmingly” opposed in Congress. He begged the mullahs to return to diplomacy. Thus Tehran is now a flip of a switch away from a bomb. Iran uses its proxies Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. 

The incoming state secretary and national security adviser are advocating added pressure on Communist China, which looms over the Pacific. President Trump has urged Japan, South Korea, and the Republic of China on Taiwan to beef up budgets so they can fend for themselves. It would be nice to think that we, too, will expand budgets so our Navy — whose fleet has been shrinking —  can compete with Beijing’s fast growing-fleet.