Jose Miguel Alonso-Trabanco
Perhaps the greatest change of direction in the world Zeitgeist derived from the second coming of Trump —and probably the most consequential legacy of his administration— is a prospective reformulation of US foreign policy. Together, the popular legitimacy of Trump’s second mandate, the lack of circumstantial political constraints associated with the quest for re-election, and intense geopolitical convulsion open a window of opportunity to make this happen. Such a course of action would be a departure from the inertial bipartisan trajectory followed by the US for decades after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Many mainstream media commentators disqualify this hypothetical possibility, often with contradictory criticisms. Trump is portrayed as a trigger-happy incendiary cowboy as a result of his supposed megalomania but, at the same time, he is also depicted as an irresponsible and cowardly isolationist eager to follow the metaphorical ‘ostrich policy’ or as the reincarnation of Chamberlain because of his alleged proclivity for appeasement. These misrepresentations respond to the lack of an appropriate interpretative referential logic. Therefore, it is pertinent —for diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive purposes— to overcome the narrow-minded and Manichean vision of liberal internationalism with the explanatory capabilities of theoretical models, such as political realism, geoeconomics, and classical geopolitics. The purpose of this analysis is to cover this gap in understanding by offering a higher degree of clarity as an ingredient of a better judgment through a dispassionate assessment. The following contents intend to dissect the cornerstones of Trump foreign policy.
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