What Trump Has Said About Foreign Policy In A Second Term
Topline
President-elect Donald Trump has said he will reevaluate the country’s role in NATO, end the war in Ukraine, restore travel bans from majority-Muslim countries, impose new restrictions on Chinese-owned infrastructure in the U.S. and build a missile defense shield system, among other priorities, in a return to office—here are the “America First” foreign policy promises he’s made for a second term.
Donald Trump speaks to the media at a press conference on the second day of the 2018 NATO Summit on … [+]
Key Facts
Trump has said it would take him “no longer than one day” to “settle” the war between Russia and the Ukraine if elected (he has not elaborated on how he plans to end the conflict) and said he plans to ask European allies to reimburse the U.S. for weapons it sent to Ukraine.
Trump, who offered broad support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his first term, has also vowed to bring peace to the Middle East, where tensions have been rapidly escalating since the start of Israel’s war with Hamas more than one year ago, but has said little about how other than urging Israel to “finish the job.”
The president-elect has said he will reject the advice of generals, bureaucrats, diplomats, lobbyists and defense contractors who have pushed for war and replace the “warmongers and frauds and failures” in the government with “competent national security officials who believe in defending America’s vital interests above all else.”
Trump has repeatedly criticized members of NATO, a European and North American defense alliance, and said he will not commit to defending countries that are not spending at least 2% of their GDP on defense, with vice president-elect JD Vance adding NATO “is not just a welfare client. It should be a real alliance.”
Trump has vowed to build a missile defense shield to defend America in the event of “World War Three”, which he said “would make World War I and World War II (look) like very small battles.”
In September, Trump said he would reinstate the “famous travel ban” that stopped people from some predominantly Muslim countries from visiting the U.S. and expand it to include refugees from “terror infested areas like the Gaza Strip.”
The president-elect has promised to take a hardline stance on China by pressuring the country to sell off “any current holdings that threaten the country’s national and economic security” and impose new restrictions on Chinese-owned infrastructure in the U.S.
Trump has proposed imposing baseline tariffs on most foreign goods (and tariffs as high as 60% on all Chinese imports and 100% on Mexican goods) in hopes of spurring American manufacturing: “As tariffs on foreign countries go up, taxes on American workers, families and businesses can come down,” his policy plan says.
President Joe Biden reentered the Paris Climate Agreement after Trump withdrew in his first term, but Trump has said he plans to again back out, calling the accords a “rip off” because the United States pays more than other countries (the agreement requires developed countries to help developing countries with mitigating climate change).
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Crucial Quote
Trump said he was asked by the president of a NATO country if the U.S. would protect it against a Russian invasion, even if they hadn’t met their defense spending requirement. “No, I would not protect you,” Trump recalled responding. “In fact, I would encourage (Russia) to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.”
Key Background
Trump’s first term was defined by what he called an “America First” foreign policy, which he has promised to return to in a second term. In his first four years as president, that policy direction led him to withdraw from major international agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Paris Climate Agreement, UNESCO and the Iran nuclear deal; launch a trade war with China; and rout around the State Department and national security officials in making policy decisions. Major foreign policy moments in his first term included the first presidential visit to North Korea, the first recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the United States cutting ties with the World Health Organization.
Further Reading
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