The Rafale is a heck of a fighter. It is is bit short ranged, but that is probably a good thing. Users have less potential to annoy their neighbors with airstrikes.
And right now, F-35s are mostly expensive “vaporware.”
But we’re not going to be fighting anyone who buys Rafales. We’re going to be fighting folks who have Sov, er, Russian aircraft. Or no aircraft at all. I would more worried about the performance of the latest Sukhoi or Chinese mystery plane than I would be about Rafales. And I’d like to see the US acquiring more drones with air to ground capability so that they can loiter and support ground troops.
Last I checked our record against Soviet hard ware since Korea is perfect!!