“America First” and “America Last”: What does Trump’s return mean for U.S. foreign policy?
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House next month, what kind of foreign policy can Americans expect during his second stint in the Oval Office?
J. Michael Waller, senior analyst for strategy at the Center for Security Policy, said in an interview with Fox News Digital that Trump will pursue an “America first foreign policy” and described Biden’s approach as “America Last”.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell advocates that the incoming commander-in-chief significantly increase military spending to enhance the country’s “hard power.”
The long-serving lawmaker also warned against an isolationist approach to foreign policy, claiming in an article published in Foreign Affairs that “the response to four years of weakness must not be four years of isolation.”
McConnell warned Robert Kennedy Jr. Avoid the polio vaccine
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., answers reporters’ questions during a news conference following the weekly Senate Republican Policy Luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Nov. 19, 2024 (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
“Trump would be wise to base his foreign policy on the enduring cornerstone of American leadership: hard power. To reverse the neglect of military strength, his administration must commit to a significant and sustained increase in defense spending and a significant impact on the defense industry. foundation for intergenerational investment.
“Pretending that the United States can focus on one threat at a time, that its credibility is divisible, or that it can dismiss distant chaos as irrelevant is to ignore its global interests and adversaries around the world,” he said. design.
Waller, author of “The Big Intel,” explains that an America-first foreign policy does not mean isolationism.
He pointed out that “this means that the United States has to define its national interests very strictly” but does not mean that every crisis on a global scale is “critical to our country.”
Waller said in Foreign Affairs that McConnell is seeking to “maintain a single-party consensus on America’s current global commitments that stretch us beyond our means… without even taking a step back to reassess what actually counts.” Our national interests and how we best coordinate our resources can secure them.
Fox News Digital attempted to contact McConnell for comment but did not receive a response.
Republican representative says U.S. is ‘closer than ever’ to deal with hostages thanks to Trump
Trump has appointed Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state, a choice Waller rated as a “very good choice.”
Regarding the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Rubio said the United States is funding a “stalemate war.”
Trump called for a ceasefire.
“There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations begin. Too many lives have been needlessly wasted, too many families have been destroyed, and if this continues it could turn into something bigger and worse,” he said in a post Claims About Truth Society.
Fetterman meets with Trump nominees, promises ‘open mind and informed opinion’ on confirmation vote
Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Click to Get the Fox News App
Trump has also called for the release of hostages in the Middle East, warning in a post for The Truth Society that “the Middle East and those living in the Middle East will pay a terrible price” if they are not released when he takes office. Those who commit these atrocities against humanity will be hit harder than anyone in the long and storied history of the United States of America,” he declared.
