Trump’s Global Ambitions: A Performance of Power
Donald Trump is not, by instinct, a president who seeks war. But he is a president who believes deeply in projecting strength. And in the United States, strength is almost always performed on the world stage. This notion of projecting American power is a recurring theme in Trump’s political career, and it has shaped his foreign policy approach. The article examines how his administration’s interventions and posturing are driven by a desire to project strength, even as it grapples with domestic challenges.
The U.S. cannot simply retreat from its global responsibilities. Too much of its prosperity rests on its global role: its financial reach, the dollar’s supremacy, and its security commitments. A serious retreat would destabilize the system from which it benefits most. Trump, despite his domestic focus on economic and political reforms, is increasingly compelled to engage in global affairs. The piece highlights how Trump’s policies, while aiming to project strength, are also a response to the expectations of his political environment and the need to maintain public support.
The article notes that Trump’s domestic position is far from assured. His administration’s record-long government shutdown and the stalemate over funding have damaged the Republican Party. Local elections, including those in New York, were encouraging for his opponents. Even Trump’s favorite tool (tariffs) now faces legal uncertainty, with the Supreme Court, which is dominated by conservatives, unsure whether to back him. With a year until the midterms that will determine control of Congress, Washington is already shifting into campaign mode. The candidate who accused his predecessors of obsessing over global affairs at the expense of ordinary Americans is increasingly relying on those same global affairs to sustain his presidency.
There is also a more personal calculation. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded one month before Americans vote. Trump, who is unlikely to receive it due to the liberal-internationalist sentiment of the committee, is tempted to pursue high-profile foreign breakthroughs. The article underscores the tension between Trump’s rhetoric of ‘peace through strength’ and the reality of a shifting U.S. foreign policy landscape. This paradox highlights how Trump’s foreign policy decisions have the potential to impact the global order significantly.
The piece argues that while Trump may not seek major wars requiring occupation or nation-building, his reliance on shows of power can create their own momentum. One can always be drawn into escalation while trying to avoid it. The U.S. cannot simply embrace isolationism, even if Trump instinctively leans in that direction. The central point is that Trump is not a warmonger, but a performer. His slogan, ‘peace through strength,’ captures this perfectly. The risk is that the performance becomes the policy, and in a system as vast and forceful as America’s, that is enough to shake the international order.