The world is waiting for the outcome of the election battle, at the end of which the odious US presidential candidate Donald Trump is galloping around trying to get the maximum electoral bonuses in his favour from the gaffe made by Joe Biden the other day, when he short-sightedly called Trump’s electorate ‘garbage’. Although the White House press office corrected the text of President Biden’s statement, which contained a harsh comment with an emotionally charged expression, many took it as a personal insult aimed at the supporters of presidential candidate Trump.
A person is judged by his or her actions
To model the vector of America’s movement if a controversial candidate is elected, it is worth recalling the course of his leadership during the previous administration. While Barack Obama’s life story is that of an intellectual who gained recognition among the intelligentsia, the life story of his successor, Donald Trump, is diverse and ambiguous.
He has his own star on the Walk of Fame, but he is also the subject of criticism from Hollywood stars. An odious media personality and billionaire, infamous for judicial investigations and controversies surrounding his divorce, he has become a favourite of the American proletariat and conservative supporters. Even outspoken anti-Semites supported his candidacy in the election, despite the fact that Trump has a Jewish son-in-law and a daughter who converted to Judaism. Trump is well aware of the mood of ordinary Americans and is probably not afraid of losing the favour of his fans due to his impulsiveness and inconsistency.
‘Let’s make America great again’
It can be argued that in 2016, Trump won the election by capitalising on the discontent of his countrymen. Trump pointed to the shortcomings of American foreign policy, which had failed in many ways. His approach to international relations has been abrupt and often controversial, which has provoked mixed reactions from the community. He criticised multilateral agreements and alliances, including NATO, and tried to change the course of US foreign policy to a more isolationist one. This influenced the world’s perception of America and its role on the international stage.
The 45th President believed that the US enriched other countries at the expense of its own industry and military resources. Instead, Trump proposed to put America first: in his view, allies should pay for defence, China should not steal jobs, and the United States should withdraw from ‘bad deals’ such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the nuclear deal with Iran. The President himself promised to make ‘great deals’ for America’s prosperity.
Under these slogans, ‘America First’ has emerged, a populist political theory that emphasises the priority of US domestic policy over global affairs. It envisages non-interference, American nationalism and protectionist trade policy.
In fact, the term was coined by President Woodrow Wilson exactly one hundred years before Trump – in 1916 – during his election campaign, which promised to maintain America’s neutrality in World War I. The approach gained popularity in the interwar period and was supported by the American First Committee, which opposed the US entry into World War II.
Trump, the nickname given to him by his call to ‘Make America Great Again’, used this slogan during his 2016 presidential campaign and presidency, emphasising the US withdrawal from international treaties and organisations. Media critics ridiculed his policy as ‘America itself’.
What was Donald Trump’s foreign policy like?
The Republican leader revealed an inconvenient truth to his compatriots: American foreign policy has failed. He sharply criticised and continues to criticise the world order created by the Americans for its failures. However, he had no clear plan to replace this order, no system that would work better.
As an agent of chaos, he simply pointed to the current order and called it imperfect. This determined the inconsistency of Trump’s foreign policy. He could simultaneously threaten North Korea with ‘fire and fury’ and hold friendly summits with the North Korean ‘Fat Man’. He could have bombed a Syrian military airfield with cruise missiles and then announced the withdrawal of 2,000 US troops from Syria. John Bolton, Trump’s National Security Advisor in 2018-2019, gave a simple piece of advice to those trying to understand Trump’s foreign policy philosophy: don’t try.
Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO and the transatlantic relationship, questioning its value to the United States. He believed that US allies, especially NATO, Japan and South Korea, should invest more in their armed forces and take more responsibility for collective security.
Trump believed that many NATO members were not fulfilling their financial obligations and relied on the United States for their security. He often referred to them as ‘drones’ and ‘freeloaders’ who use the American security umbrella without fulfilling their obligations. He criticised European countries for cutting back on defence spending, especially Germany, which had developed economic ties with Russia, depending on its energy resources.
According to the 45th President, the United States spends too much on the defence of other countries, while the latter do not fulfil their financial obligations to the Alliance. He demanded that the allies increase their defence spending to 2% of GDP, as stipulated in the NATO charter.
Trump also threatened that the United States might not defend countries that do not meet their financial obligations, and even stated that he would encourage Russia to act at its discretion against such countries. This caused concern among European allies and criticism from many political leaders.
In general, Trump’s criticism of NATO was aimed at forcing the allies to take on more of the financial burden and responsibility for collective security, which he believed would strengthen the US position in the international arena.
Since the outbreak of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, it has become clear how this dependence has affected Europe. Trump has constantly emphasised the need to increase defence spending among NATO member states. He even announced the withdrawal of some US troops from Germany due to its failure to meet its financial obligations to the Alliance.
In addition, the Teflon Don imposed sanctions against the Russian-European Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian natural gas.
Maga-King has repeatedly stated that the United States may not come to the aid of NATO allies who fail to meet their financial defence commitments. These statements caused concern among European allies and became real ‘music to Putin’s ears’ as they undermined the unity of the alliance.
Of course, this policy had serious consequences for transatlantic relations. After all, US allies provide enormous strategic advantages, including military bases, intelligence, and support in international conflicts. However, Trump has tended to view these relationships mainly in terms of financial costs and benefits.
In general, Trump’s criticism of NATO was aimed at forcing the allies to shoulder more of the financial burden and responsibility for collective security. This has caused concern among European allies and criticism from many political leaders…
…Donald Trump’s personality is so multifaceted that it is worth continuing the story next time, highlighting, among other things, his fateful steps such as withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran, attempts to reach an agreement with Kim Jong-un, the trade war between the US and China, etc.
Tetyana Morarash
