Yes, he did. He shouldn’t have. If the middle east didn’t value our trade why sould we protect anyone going there if they wouldn’t? This is our country, right here. Anything outside of here is not our responsibility. Some merchant wants to make a buck then they take their chances. US Taxpayers should not be on the hook to play the world’s policeman. We created this country to keep people safe here in this country, not the globe.
I was just being a smart aleck with my response. I side with Jefferson on that particular issue. The Barbary pirates were seizing ships in the Mediterranean, regardless of what their business was or their destination, and enslaving people who couldn’t pay a ransom. They needed killing.