Trump and Foreign Policy
Benjamin Barry
Staff Writer
On Wednesday, November 5, former United States President and Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump secured a win in Wisconsin, giving him just over the 270 electoral votes needed to attain the presidency, The Associated Press reports. Since then, the former president has won every single swing state in this election. Immediately following the election, fears were raised among many citizens who didn’t vote for Trump, with the search “leaving the country” increasing drastically after the election, according to CNBC.
During the recent election, foreign policy held much more weight than it typically does in presidential elections, especially with several key parts of the world currently at war. From the Russo-Ukrainian war to the now multi-front war in the Middle East, both were talked about greatly by President-elect Trump. Many fear his approach, especially those who are concerned for the citizens of Ukraine and Gaza. Others grow hopeful for his approach, with many concerned with the great amount of money given to both Israel and Ukraine by the current presidential administration. An opinion article published in The Hill takes the latter opinion. The author praises Trump’s tactics to limit the U.S.’s influence in the global sphere, citing that the country shouldn’t be the “savior” of the world.
Many oppose American involvement in conflict abroad due to fears of escalation of the war in the Middle East. Opponents of this viewpoint have also been vocal. In an opinion article written by the Middle East Eye the author goes into depth about the president-elect’s cabinet picks, many of whom are staunchly in favor of Israel. Trump’s pick to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, denied the existence of settlements and the existence of the West Bank as a Palestinian territory entirely. According to Forbes, Huckabee advocated for annexation of some parts of the West Bank and heavily criticized current President Biden’s call for a ceasefire.
Trump also addressed his views on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during his first term and along his campaign trail this year. According to NATO, all members agreed to commit 2 percent of their national GDP to defense spending in 2014. Trump was incredibly persistent about member nations meeting this quota during his first term. This partially worked, with 23 out of 32 states expected to meet the threshold in 2024, compared to just 9 in 2020. During his campaign, he continued to affirm his sentiments regarding defense spending, especially in relation to the Russo-Ukrainian War on Europe’s eastern front. President Emmanuel Macron of France was asked by reporters about his thoughts on Donald Trump’s victory in the election. According to the Wall Street Journal,
Macron said, “[He] has been elected by the American people, and he will defend American interests, which is a legitimate and good thing. The question is whether we are ready to defend the interests of Europeans. This is the only question.”
Trade was also heavily controversial leading up to the presidential election. The Associated Press covered Trump’s policy goals for increasing tariffs on foreign goods. The exact percentage that will be implemented is still unclear, as many different numbers have been mentioned in speeches, ranging from 10 percent to 20 percent and higher. Trump also plans to block any purchase of infrastructure by buyers from China. These policies were created with the intent to promote American business, yet the full extent of the economic and diplomatic effects of these plans are still unknown.
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