National Security Under Trump 2.0

The world is buzzing with ongoing speculation about how President-elect Donald Trump will lead during his second term. This is particularly true when it comes to foreign policy. More or less support for Ukraine? Israel? Taiwan? A course change toward China? NATO? Iran? Perhaps the best way to forecast Trump’s 2025 approach to foreign and national security policy is to look at the national security blueprint he signed off on in 2017.

By law, U.S. presidents are required to publish a national security strategy within months of entering office, though the deadline is not often met. Sometimes, presidents begin immediately with statements of priorities, as President Joe Biden did by issuing National Security Memorandum-4 two weeks after taking office in 2021. NSM-4 directed all foreign-directed U.S. government agencies (e.g., the departments of State, Defense, etc.) to advance LGBTQ rights within the agency and in their external relations with other countries. As the Federation of American Scientists summarized, “In effect, the defense of LGBTQI+ rights has now been elevated by the Biden Administration to a national security policy of the United States.” (Although the Biden White House published other interim guidance, it took until October 2022 to finally publish a national security strategy).

In stark contrast, President Trump’s “new National Security Strategy for a new era” from 2017 provided a comprehensive vision and strategy for advancing American interests and ideals. When reading it, one feels as if the Trump NSS was written for 2025 and beyond.

Read the full article in WORLD.