Almost every U.S. president since George H.W. Bush had his foreign policy legacy defined by the crisis no one saw coming during the campaign. For the elder Bush, it was Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Bill Clinton ended up in two Balkans wars. George W. Bush sought a domestic focus but, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, ended up in a war in Afghanistan and, more controversially, in Iraq. Barack Obama promised to “end stupid wars” but then entered Syria and Libya. The COVID-19 pandemic overshadowed President-elect Donald Trump’s first administration, and Ukraine dominated President Joe Biden’s term.

The collapse of Cuba’s communist regime could soon bring new chaos to America’s doorstep.

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