United States foreign policy under Donald Trump

United States foreign policy under Donald Trump
Title	United States foreign policy under Donald Trump
Caption	Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States
Period	2017–2021
Predecessors	Barack Obama
Successors	Joe Biden
Focus	Realignment of bilateral relations, transactional diplomacy, trade war, sanctions, withdrawal from multilateral frameworks

United States foreign policy under Donald Trump

The foreign policy of the United States under President Donald Trump (2017–2021) emphasized bilateral bargaining, economic coercion, and skepticism of traditional multilateral institutions, generating contested outcomes across alliances, trade, and regional conflicts. The administration pursued policies that intersected with actors such as China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, European Union, and regional partners including Mexico and Saudi Arabia while reshaping engagements with NATO, United Nations, and trade pacts like the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Background and Foreign Policy Orientation

The Trump administration framed its orientation through slogans and personnel tied to America First and advisers from think tanks and agencies such as the Heritage Foundation, Council on Foreign Relations, Department of Defense, and the National Security Council, producing appointments like Rex Tillerson, Mike Pompeo, James Mattis, John Bolton, and Stephen Bannon who influenced policy toward Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela. Its doctrine combined elements of strategic competition with China and Russia informed by earlier debates in works by scholars affiliated with Hoover Institution, Brookings Institution, and American Enterprise Institute, while also echoing precedents from Ronald Reagan-era unilateralism and Richard Nixon-era realpolitik. The administration's rhetoric and actions intersected with events such as the Syrian Civil War, the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), and the Global War on Terrorism.

Key Regional Policies (Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa)

In the Americas the administration renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement into the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement and pursued hardline migration measures affecting relations with Mexico, Central America, and responses to crises in Venezuela and Cuba, coordinating sanctions with actors like Colombia and institutions including the Organization of American States. In Europe the administration challenged NATO burden-sharing, criticized leaders such as Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron, and engaged with United Kingdom post-Brexit dynamics while imposing tariffs affecting ties with the European Union and partners like Germany and France. In the Asia-Pacific the administration shifted to strategic competition with China through actions involving the South China Sea, trade measures against Huawei, summit diplomacy with Kim Jong-un of North Korea, and strengthened security ties with Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. In the Middle East the administration recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moved the United States Embassy to Jerusalem, withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, implemented a "maximum pressure" sanctions campaign on Iran, expanded arms sales to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, and engaged in strikes and diplomacy connected to Syria and Iraq. In Africa engagement prioritized counterterrorism cooperation with states such as Nigeria, Somalia, and Egypt while adjusting assistance and security deployments amid tensions over bases and partnerships with France and Turkey.

Trade, Economic Statecraft, and Sanctions

Trade policy emphasized tariffs, bilateral negotiations, and enforcement actions: tariffs on steel and aluminum affected China, the European Union, and Canada; a sustained tariff-and-subsidy campaign targeted Chinese industrial policy and firms such as ZTE and Huawei; and the administration recalibrated agreements by replacing NAFTA with USMCA. Economic statecraft included sanctions programs under statutes like the International Emergency Economic Powers Act applied to Iran, Venezuela, Russia (including actions related to Crimea and sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act), as well as designation lists enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control and coordination with allies and institutions such as the G7 and World Trade Organization disputes.

Military Posture, Defense Policy, and Alliances

Defense policy combined force posture adjustments, expeditionary withdrawals, and modernization priorities under the National Defense Strategy emphasizing great-power competition with China and Russia. The administration increased defense budgets, withdrew forces from parts of Syria and reduced footprints in Afghanistan while negotiating troop levels with allies including South Korea and pressing NATO partners for higher defense spending. Arms sales to regional partners such as Saudi Arabia and Israel were expanded, intersecting with congressional oversight and debates tied to events like the Khashoggi affair and the Assad regime in Syria.

Diplomacy, International Institutions, and Treaties

The administration withdrew from or renegotiated multiple multilateral frameworks: it left the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, withdrew from the Paris Agreement on climate change, exited the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), and reduced funding to the World Health Organization during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also pursued bilateral summit diplomacy exemplified by meetings with Kim Jong-un and high-level contacts with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, while contesting norms in forums such as the United Nations General Assembly and challenging adjudicative institutions like the International Criminal Court.

Impact, Legacy, and Assessments of Effectiveness

Assessments of effectiveness vary: supporters cite renegotiated trade deals, stepped-up sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, stronger pressure on China, and increased defense spending; critics highlight strained alliances with NATO and the European Union, weakened multilateral leadership, controversial exit decisions, and mixed results in deterring North Korea's nuclear program. Scholars and policy analysts from institutions including Harvard Kennedy School, Columbia University, Stanford University, and think tanks such as RAND Corporation and Chatham House debate long-term consequences for global order, credibility, and institutional commitments, with evaluations often tied to outcomes in forums like the WTO and crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and regional conflicts in Syria and the Sahel.

Category:United States foreign relations