Trump is already making US safer from terrorist attacks despite Democrat opposition

Robert Heiler:

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For starters, the response of President Donald Trump would mostly likely be predictable, somewhat juvenile, and entirely correct: “I told you so.” It is not hard to imagine a tweet consisting of precisely these words, despite their impropriety.

Such a response, would present all those vigorously resisting his leadership -- which is to say nearly all Democrats and some Republicans -- with a stark and unavoidable choice: double down or shut up. The atmosphere and national mood would encourage the latter; some converts might have a genuine change of heart, and others merely a keen sense of self-preservation.

The point of this thought experiment is to illustrate what Trump has already accomplished: he has, to no small degree, hamstrung our enemies. A large-scale tactical success for them would risk strategic disaster. Trump campaigned on the strategic advantage of unpredictability. The popular response to a large attack would, simply put, elevate him. That is a thing that the jihadists devoutly want him not to have, for reasons that should be obvious.

This is true because of the asymmetric nature of our conflict. We are the conventional power, clearly superior in resources and technology. They are the guerrilla force, relying on concealment, surprise, and a low-intensity conflict to neutralize those advantages. But they also rely on occasional spectacular victories to maintain recruitment, retention, and a fanatical level of devotion to their cause, which is essential when suicide is a major element of your offensive efforts. Trump has effectively denied them one of those without risk of losing the other – and made Americans safer in the process.

That additional safety is not perfect or permanent. Religious fanatics hell bent on global domination are not always rational. This is worth noting, however, particularly if you think of Trump as a barstool blowhard, shooting from the lip without regard for predictable consequences. If that is true, then for things to have ordered themselves thus in less than a month since his inauguration is a YUGE stroke of luck.
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Trump is already telling the judges who oppose his executive order that they are responsible for not stopping the next terrorist attack.  Democrats who oppose these executive orders will also be vulnerable.  His unpredictability is also a tactical and strategic advantage.  It throws another calculation into the mix for both adversaries and for domestic critics.