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Daniel W. Drezner: Donald Trump, American Imperialist
Daniel W. Drezner - Donald Trump, American Imperialist
Restraint had a nice rhetorical run.
Daniel W. Drezner
Dec 23, 2024
One of the ruefully amusing claims of the Trump 2024 campaign for the past two years was that compared to other recent presidents, Trump demonstrated foreign policy restraint. As I noted last year, “the conventional wisdom during the Trump years was that Trump was far more dovish than his foreign policy advisors; even [in 2023], some observers continue to insist this remains true.” At best this claim was dubious and at worst it was unadulterated horseshit. I will keep saying this in print and on podcasts: “Trump is not an isolationist — he is a mercantilist who prefers using force in this hemisphere.”
And it’s not just me. A recent International Security paper on the many different schools of thought in the restraint camp noted, “Elected in 2016, President Donald Trump did not adopt a grand strategy of restraint, but he did voice restrainers’ concerns about alliances and adopt some policies that restrainers applauded…. Since then, Republicans have adopted a platform that includes calls for a stronger military as well as restraint-friendly themes, such as using force ‘sparingly.’” In other words, Trump might have sounded like he was sympathetic to restraint, but in practice he acted in a more Jacksonian manner.
All of this was when Trump was running for office. As president-elect, Trump has had zero problems brandishing coercive threats against trading partners and the BRICS nations. Sometimes those coercive threats sounded pretty militaristic. For example, last month in World Politics Review James Bosworth noted Trump’s increased bellicosity towards Mexico:
Over the past week, however, Trump has been making noises suggesting something altogether stranger and more aggressive: the territorial expansion of the United States.
Think I’m exaggerating? Let’s consider some recent Trump reflections about Canada. He has repeatedly mused out loud about the Great White North becoming the 51st state. On social media he has been belittling Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by calling him “Governor” and describing Canada as a “state.” On Wednesday he posted, “No one can answer why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year? Makes no sense! Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State. They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!”
/snip
Restraint had a nice rhetorical run.
Daniel W. Drezner
Dec 23, 2024
One of the ruefully amusing claims of the Trump 2024 campaign for the past two years was that compared to other recent presidents, Trump demonstrated foreign policy restraint. As I noted last year, “the conventional wisdom during the Trump years was that Trump was far more dovish than his foreign policy advisors; even [in 2023], some observers continue to insist this remains true.” At best this claim was dubious and at worst it was unadulterated horseshit. I will keep saying this in print and on podcasts: “Trump is not an isolationist — he is a mercantilist who prefers using force in this hemisphere.”
And it’s not just me. A recent International Security paper on the many different schools of thought in the restraint camp noted, “Elected in 2016, President Donald Trump did not adopt a grand strategy of restraint, but he did voice restrainers’ concerns about alliances and adopt some policies that restrainers applauded…. Since then, Republicans have adopted a platform that includes calls for a stronger military as well as restraint-friendly themes, such as using force ‘sparingly.’” In other words, Trump might have sounded like he was sympathetic to restraint, but in practice he acted in a more Jacksonian manner.
All of this was when Trump was running for office. As president-elect, Trump has had zero problems brandishing coercive threats against trading partners and the BRICS nations. Sometimes those coercive threats sounded pretty militaristic. For example, last month in World Politics Review James Bosworth noted Trump’s increased bellicosity towards Mexico:
Having now won re-election, Trump appears to be moving toward a more aggressive use of the U.S. military at the border to combat migration, and his advisers are also building a case for cross-border military operations into Mexico. In other words, the signs are that the incoming Trump administration is preparing for an actual war against the drug cartels in 2025 that goes well beyond the “War on Drugs” of the past.
Over the past week, however, Trump has been making noises suggesting something altogether stranger and more aggressive: the territorial expansion of the United States.
Think I’m exaggerating? Let’s consider some recent Trump reflections about Canada. He has repeatedly mused out loud about the Great White North becoming the 51st state. On social media he has been belittling Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by calling him “Governor” and describing Canada as a “state.” On Wednesday he posted, “No one can answer why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year? Makes no sense! Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State. They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!”
/snip