The beginning of Trump’s 2nd term and the revolution in US foreign policy

The beginning of Trump’s 2nd term and the revolution in US foreign policy
Credit: aa.com.tr

Donald Trump took office as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, 2025. He is only the second president in U.S. history to serve two non-consecutive terms. Trump’s entire political career has been filled with peculiarities. It should come as no surprise that he was elected to a second term in such an unconventional fashion. An oddity in American politics is that he secured his first term without winning the popular vote. 

He had no prior political experience when he took office. Trump relied on recommendations, family, in-laws, cronies, and ideological media warriors like Steve Bannon to assemble his first administration. For the next four years, his administration fell from crisis to crisis as different leaders lost their positions, embarrassed themselves, and were deposed. Others of a similar caliber then replaced them.

Trump’s second term: Prepared leader or short attention span?

Trump is better equipped to handle the challenge as he begins his second term. In contrast to the first time, he started screening candidates for different positions as soon as the November ballot count was complete. Another important item on his agenda was the more than 100 executive orders he would sign on his first day of work. Trump began urging his congressional supporters to carry out his objectives after seizing control of the Republican Party. Or, more accurately, Trump is known for having a short attention span 

He frequently starts the day’s political agenda with early-morning tweets on the social media platform that his comrade Elon Musk currently owns. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, which has taken on the feel of Jay Gatsby’s house, where he “dispenses starlight to casual moths” will undoubtedly serve as “White House South” for the next four years. In this situation, Musk seems to play the role of Klipspringer. 

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago court: The new face of American power

Politicians and business leaders from around the world are now flocking to Trump’s “royal court” at Mar-a-Lago to meet with the new “decider.” Though commentary on the “extraordinary” or “abnormal” nature of this picture is common in editorial pages around the world, it has been developing for a long time. To put it plainly, this is the American Imperium stripped of its elegant Republican garb and its deep intellectual discourse. 

Trump is the outcome of long-term sociopolitical processes in the United States. Trump’s actions can be traced back several decades, starting with Sarah Palin and continuing through Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh. Dan Quayle and David Duke, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon’s ascent to national prominence following World War II, and Senator Joseph McCarthy’s demagoguery during the same period.

For instance, the US leadership’s foreign policy following World War II was extremely considerate of the sensitivities of other governments. In an opening speech that would typically have gone unnoticed by the media, Secretary of State George Marshall unveiled the project that would later bear his name. 

Although no post-World War II state was even close to being as powerful as the US. Harry Truman, Marshall, and other American officials realized that European governments would not adopt an initiative that was so obviously advantageous to them. If they were only asked to act in a certain way or even offered aid in a way that might come across as patronizing. The Marshall Plan would, of course, also protect US interests, but it was crucial to let each government decide whether or not to join.

Trump’s new ideas about foreign policy

He continues to be strongly anti-immigrant and carelessly disparages other international societies. Trump still believes that other NATO members are living off of American generosity. He still views China as the biggest threat to the US’s interests despite his passive attitude toward Moscow. Donald Trump continued to believe that import taxes were the solution to America’s economic problems.

The dismissal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by Trump is the only unexpected development. Considering Trump’s stated affection for Zionism, and his strong support for the State of Israel. His typically pro-Zionist selections for foreign policy roles, such as his choice for secretary of state, Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, were particularly intriguing.

Trump has already declared his opposition to the war to be even more pronounced than it was during his first administration. Over the past year, he has often expressed his desire for the Ukraine war to be resolved in addition to calling for a truce in Gaza. It is unclear, however, if Putin will agree with him and if Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy can be persuaded to reach a compromise.

Author

  • NYCFPA Editorial

    The New York Center for Foreign Policy Affairs (NYCFPA) is a policy, research, and educational organization headquartered in New York State with an office in Washington D.C. NYCFPA is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, institution devoted to conducting in-depth research and analysis on every aspect of American foreign policy and its impact around the world. The organization is funded by individual donors. The organization receives no corporate or government donations.

Recent Posts

Follow Us

Sign up for our Newsletter

Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit