SECTION 8: FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

what were the FIVE WEAKNESSES IDENTIFIED IN AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY? (per Trump's campaign speech)

Trump said:

1. Overextension of resources with a weak military/economy.
2. Allies not paying their fair share for defense.
3. Friends could no longer depend on the U.S.
4. Rivals no longer respected the U.S.
5. No clear/consistent foreign policy goals.

WHAT WAS "AMERICA FIRST"?

1. A populist approach putting American national interests first, above international institutions or alliances — moving away from liberal internationalism.
2. Rejected/criticized NAFTA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Paris Climate Agreement, the Iran Nuclear Deal, and NATO members' contributions.
3. Emphasized TRANSACTIONAL relationships (every deal must clearly benefit the U.S. immediately) rather than long-term alliance-building.

What was Trump 1.0's APPROACH TO THE LIBERAL INTERNATIONAL ORDER?

It saw the world NOT as a "global community" (the old liberal international order view) but as "an arena where nations engage and compete for advantage" — a break from 70+ years of U.S. policy supporting international institutions.

What did Trump 1.0's NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY EMPHASIZE?

It had four pillars:
(1) protect the American people/way of life/interests,

(2) promote American prosperity,

(3) preserve peace through strength,

(4) advance American influence.

It Framed Russia and China as trying to erode American security/prosperity; Iran and North Korea as destabilizing/threatening.

What was the meaning of "PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH"? And what did it entail?

It meant building overwhelming U.S. military power DETERS conflict — because strength itself keeps the peace. However, it entailed a ~10% defense budget increase; a 29% CUT to the State Department/international aid budget; plans to grow the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force.

What was Trump 1.0's APPROACH TOWARD CHINA?

1. Focused on the trade imbalance ($375 billion deficit), accused China of currency manipulation and unfair practices (forced tech transfer, IP theft).
2. Imposed tariffs (steel, aluminum, solar panels, washing machines) — sparking a trade war.
3. Created the BUILD Act (a new development-finance agency to compete with China's Belt and Road Initiative).
4. Sent high-level delegations to Taiwan + a $5 billion arms sale (angering China).

What was Trump 1.0's APPROACH TOWARD RUSSIA?

It was a mixed approach, there was personal admiration for Putin, but his administration still imposed real sanctions (CAATSA — Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, 2017) and provided LETHAL aid to Ukraine (a break from Obama, who only gave non-lethal aid) plus increased funding for European defense deterrence.

What was Obama's "strategic patience" strategy?

It was a strategy that involved waiting out North Korea and Iran with sanctions, hoping they'd eventually change behavior on their own.

What was Trump's "maximum pressure" strategy?

It was a strategy that involved aggressively escalate sanctions/rhetoric NOW to force quick concessions — more confrontational, less patient.

How did Trump 1.0's "maximum pressure" strategy affect North Korea and Iran?

1. On North Korea, this shifted into unprecedented personal diplomacy (Trump-Kim summits in Singapore, Vietnam, and the DMZ) but ultimately failed to get North Korea to fully denuclearize.
2. On Iran, this meant withdrawing from the JCPOA (Iran Nuclear Deal, 2018) and reimposing sanctions.

What does Trump 1.0's "maximum pressure" strategy tell us about Trump's FP?

Trump's FP style favors bold, fast, high-pressure tactics (sometimes personal/improvised diplomacy) over patient, incremental strategy — consistent with his "transactional," deal-making instincts.

What was Trump 1.0's approach toward NATO and what does it tell us?

1. Publicly rebuked NATO allies for not meeting the 2% GDP defense-spending target, calling the alliance's cost unfair to American taxpayers; didn't initially even affirm Article 5 (mutual defense) at a 2017 summit.
2. This badly shook European confidence (German Chancellor Merkel said Europe could no longer "completely rely on others"), sparking talk of European "strategic autonomy."
3. It TELLS US that: Trump viewed even close allies through a transactional, cost-benefit lens rather than a values-based alliance lens.

WHY WAS WITHDRAWAL FROM THE TPP A BLOW TO LIBERAL INTERNATIONALISM?

1. The TPP was a cornerstone of Obama's "Pivot to Asia" — a multilateral trade agreement meant to bind the U.S. and Asia-Pacific allies together economically (and counter China's influence) through shared rules and cooperation.
2. Trump's withdrawal (2017) symbolized a rejection of multilateral, rules-based economic cooperation in favor of unilateral, bilateral deals — undercutting the broader liberal internationalist project of using economic integration to build a stable, cooperative global order.

What were some of the CRITICISMS OF TRUMP 1.0?

(A.) Damaged relationships with closest allies (NATO criticism, tariffs on Canada/EU).

(B.) Seen as undermining the post-WWII liberal international order the U.S. itself built.

(C.) Admiration for authoritarian leaders (Putin) raised concerns.

(D.) Impulsive, short-term-focused decision-making.

(E.) Major failures cited: climate change inaction, poor COVID-19 response/ coordination, failure to denuclearize North Korea, stalled Israeli Palestinian peace process.

(F.) Some credit: no new wars/failed states, defeated ISIS, new USMCA trade deal, Abraham Accords (Israel-UAE-Bahrain normalization), rebuilt military, tougher stance on China.