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Unlike his 46 predecessors, Donald Trump’s political career began with a direct candidacy for the presidency rather than through an elected or appointed office. His political trajectory and election as President of the United States was unprecedented. Without a track record in politics, his first term was, by definition, a foray into the ways of Washington and the management of international affairs. His success in his first term allowed him to master the intricacies of American governance and prepared him for a second term that focused more on foreign policy.
A year after his second election, President Trump’s foreign policy principles have reshaped the world order and redirected America’s role in the world at lightning speed, from defense alliances to resource security strategies. Critics dismiss the Trump Doctrine as nothing more than a chaotic combination of isolationism, dismantling multilateralism, and imperialism. However, the reality is quite the opposite. President Trump’s vision is methodical and strategically focused on results. Although unconventional, Mr. Trump’s bold and sometimes intentionally provocative statements sway his opponents and often lead to concessions and desired outcomes. America’s primary interests, friend or foe alike, dictate his agenda and tactics. He properly practices the “art of trading” to achieve his goals. Nowhere is this strategy more evident than in Greenland. President Trump has threatened an extremist negotiating stance, including invasion, if Denmark refuses to cede the island, which is vital to U.S. security. The result was an agreement in which Denmark and the United States would significantly expand their joint military base, barring Chinese and Russian incursions, and opening it almost exclusively to American investment. Mission accomplished: strengthened U.S. strategic access while strengthening the Western security architecture. President Trump believes that by putting America’s interests first, the free world will benefit, prosper, and become more secure. President Trump has argued that prioritizing American power can ultimately stabilize and secure broad democratic alliances.
President Trump has abandoned what he sees as the role of the United Nations to achieve his goals, arguing that the 80-year-old organization is at best powerless and at worst a site of anti-Americanism and leftist activity, often paralyzed by veto politics and unable to enforce meaningful accountability. Instead, his approach is bilateral or regional, reflecting principles that prioritize direct power relations over multilateral agreements. Regional alliances such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have been redefined by President Trump’s insistence on collective engagement and greater contributions from member states, rebalancing the alliance’s obligations to strengthen deterrence while reducing U.S. overextension. Wealthy allies in Europe and Asia will now have to shoulder even more of the financial burden of defending themselves. The core of the Trump Doctrine is based on two strategic pillars aimed at ensuring peace through strength and prosperity through leverage. First, with the aim of restoring overwhelming military deterrence in the era of great power competition, the United States strengthened its military power through a proposal to double the defense budget to 6% of the United States’ gross domestic product (GDP). Second, promoting investment and fair free trade. Trade and tariffs are tools used by President Trump not only to achieve fair trade agreements, but also as strategic tools designed to shape global action and advance foreign policy goals, from reducing Russian oil purchases to support Ukraine to combating global illicit drug trafficking, demonstrating his belief that economic influence can be as decisive as military power in shaping global outcomes.
Nowhere in the world has President Trump invested as much energy and political capital as the Middle East, which has become the center stage of his foreign policy approach. The Trump Doctrine reaffirms and strengthens the relationship between the United States and Israel, while expanding America’s historic relationship with its Arab allies through the Abraham Accords, which President Trump championed during his first term, and positioning it as a framework for broader regional cooperation. President Biden called Saudi Arabia a “pariah state.” Meanwhile, President Trump considers Saudi Arabia a vital ally and a cornerstone of regional stability. President Trump’s influence with Arab allies, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, leveraged regional alliances to advance negotiations and helped achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. Trump’s vision for the Middle East is primarily based on the philosophy that prosperity and opportunity, especially for the Palestinians, are the basis for achieving peace. Therefore, he is referring to the development of Gaza and investments to make it prosperous. President Trump’s 20-point, three-phase Gaza peace plan and peace council aim to balance Palestinian autonomy with Israeli security requirements. By mobilizing the resources and commitment of Turkey and its key Arab allies in the region, President Trump is prepared to take a calculated gamble to resolve the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, applying similar regional coalition-building efforts as he did with the warring parties in Syria and with the support of the Shara’a-led government. President Trump draws a red line when it comes to Iran. The Trump administration subscribes to the view that much of the instability in the region stems from the Iranian regime’s terrorist intervention and support in Yemen, Gaza, and Lebanon, as well as Iranian proxies. Beyond being a state sponsor of terrorism, Iran’s nuclear ambitions pose a global threat that, if successful, would impose Iranian hegemony across the region. Whether through military force or through verifiable negotiated agreements, President Trump is determined to definitively end the Iranian threat and seeks to contain or dismantle Iran’s strategic capabilities over the long term. President Trump was the first American president to attack Iran and is ready to attack Iran again. Containment of Iran, or regime change through a U.S.-backed domestic revolution, would give Trump far more scope to push for the establishment of a Palestinian state and the necessary security structures for both Israelis and Palestinians. In President Trump’s vision, such peace guarantors would be a cadre of Arab leaders representing the United States and an expanded Abraham Accords roster that includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Syria, and Lebanon, along with other Arab states committed to regional security cooperation.
It is imperative that the Trump administration’s global foreign policy achievements and goals be viewed through a broad lens, recognizing them as part of an intentional and coherent set of strategic principles. The principles of the Trump Doctrine are rooted in unprecedented national defense expansion, the pursuit of fair and equitable trade, and unwavering support for America’s allies. President Trump’s approach may be unconventional, but supporters say the results show tangible strategic benefits. In many ways, Donald Trump is being portrayed as a 21st century Theodore Roosevelt, a leader willing to display strength to secure the nation’s interests. Both presidents advocated America First and held up a big stick that prioritized national strength as the foundation of global influence and stability.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Al Jazeera.
