The Trump Era

Much was made in the early days of Donald Trump’s presidency of “Trump’s generals,” the retired and active flag officers who made up his Cabinet and White House staff. Retired generals James Mattis and John Kelly, acting as defense secretary and then-homeland security chief respectively, and active-duty Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, Trump’s national security adviser, were seen as experienced national security hands who would, it was hoped, create a buffer between America’s vital interests and a new president who wasn’t just inexperienced but often reckless and incendiary. From the outset, there were misgivings about such an outsized role for military [...]

The first year of the Trump administration might not have brought a wholesale transformation of American strategy, but it has set the stage for one. The coming months will show whether this was a reversible detour from the course America has followed for the past 70 years, or the beginning of the end of the post-World War II world order. Much is at stake in this very dangerous time. Since the defeat of the Axis powers in 1945, the United States has equated its national interests with a system of global order that attempted to minimize armed conflict and promote [...]

As the first anniversary of his inauguration approaches, U.S. President Donald Trump has shown no sign of altering his provocative and destabilizing approach to diplomacy. His unpredictability and inflammatory rhetoric have spread confusion about the White House’s intentions in many cases, while diverting attention from the substance of Trump’s policies in others. In this special report, WPR has collected 10 articles assessing how Trump has broken with the traditions of the U.S. foreign policy establishment and where his “America First” agenda has had the biggest impact. Purchase this special report as a Kindle e-book. More Bark Than Bite Trump May [...]