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Trump’s Foreign Policy Is Fit for a 19th-Century U.S.
On Monday, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will return to the White House. The key question is: What comes next? For those who follow U.S. foreign policy, it seems that the only thing predictable about Trump is that he is unpredictable, even a bit of a madman.
That may well be true, but perhaps the best way to anticipate Trump’s future actions is to recognize that he’s a throwback. Or, more accurately, his foreign policy views hark back to a bygone era, one that he seems to want to make relevant, even great, again. In other words, to understand Trump is to recognize that he wants to bring a 19th-century foreign policy into the 21st century.
I am not the only one to note Trump’s preferences for policies more in line with presidents from over a century ago. He’s been explicit in his admiration of William McKinley, who was president from 1897 to 1901. During his first term, some likened Trump to Andrew Jackson, the U.S. president known not only for being an outsider, but also for his forceful ethnic cleansing policies toward Native Americans. Trump appeared to embrace that comparison, with Jackson’s portrait hanging in the Oval Office. Even before he was elected in 2016, observers pointed to how Trump’s worldview seemed more at home in the late 19th or early 20th century.
In recent years, President Trump’s foreign policy decisions have drawn criticism from many experts and analysts, with some even going so far as to say that his approach is more suited to the 19th century United States than to the modern world.
Trump’s “America First” stance, which prioritizes the interests of the United States above all else, has led to a series of controversial decisions on the global stage. From pulling out of international agreements like the Paris Climate Accord and the Iran nuclear deal, to imposing tariffs on allies and adversaries alike, Trump’s foreign policy has been marked by a unilateral and isolationist approach that harkens back to a time when the U.S. was more focused on its own affairs than on engaging with the rest of the world.
Critics argue that this approach is outdated and ill-suited to the complex and interconnected world in which we live today. In an era where global challenges like climate change, terrorism, and pandemics require cooperation and coordination among nations, Trump’s go-it-alone mentality has been seen as short-sighted and ineffective.
As we look to the future of U.S. foreign policy, it is clear that a more nuanced and cooperative approach will be needed to address the complex challenges facing the world. While Trump’s “America First” stance may have resonated with some voters, its implications for America’s standing in the world and its ability to effectively address global issues have raised serious concerns among many observers. Only time will tell if Trump’s foreign policy legacy will be seen as a relic of the past or as a lasting influence on the U.S.’s role in the world.
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- Trump foreign policy
- 19th-century U.S.
- United States foreign policy
- Trump administration
- International relations
- Diplomacy
- Historical foreign policy
- American politics
- Global affairs
- Trump presidency
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