Despite Donald Trump’s reticence toward sending troops abroad, his foreign policy is not isolationist or about making “America great again.” Rather, it is a view that would alienate America from the rest of the world, according to an international security expert.
Instead of “Make America Great Again,” Alex Ward, associate director of the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security at the Atlantic Council, had some alternate suggestions.
“Maybe America alone, or Trump-lateralism, whatever you want to call it,” Ward said on Tuesday at a panel discussion hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“When he says ‘America first,’ it’s not just about isolationism,” Ward added. “It’s not just about retreating behind walls. It’s about America devoid of friends and allies and partners and working by itself to remake the way the world works. And the only person that can do that is Trump.”
Ward pointed out Trump isn’t opposed to trade deals, he just wants to restructure them so they benefit the U.S. Likewise, he said Trump isn’t opposed to entering the Middle East, but would like to bomb it first and then take the oil. And Trump isn’t trying to cut off China, he just would like to “actively punish” it.
According to Ward, similar foreign policy rhetoric came from the George W. Bush campaign during the 2000 election, such as increased military spending and increased action and support from allies. However, Trump’s means of implementing his proposed strategies are novel.
“It’s not necessarily the way he’s necessarily enacting world affairs that is so abhorrent, although it kind of is. It’s to the ends of what he wants to achieve,” Ward said.
“He wants to make the biggest, baddest military in the world, but to what ends?” Ward asked. “We don’t know.”
Comparing a Trump and Clinton administration, Ward identified potential gridlock with Congress that could occur under either administration, namely a “mismatch in desire and tools.”
“The main issue here is that Trump will have the political backing and desire to increase military spending for a military that he doesn’t want to use,” Ward said. “And then Clinton as well is going to have the desire to increase military spending, but won’t have the political backing, for a military she definitely will use.”
Ward predicts in an event of crisis or upon being challenged by other world leaders, Trump would retaliate using military force.
“There is something that will happen in a Trump presidency, and he will be called upon to send forces abroad,” Ward said.
