Trump's Foreign Policy: Transactional Deals, Spheres of Influence, and Contradictory Actions

Key Quotes

"Well, the president has had some diplomatic success, but it's a real stretch to claim he's ended eight wars. Many of these were small-scale skirmishes or tensions along a border or just diplomatic disputes with no actual shooting, and in several cases, negotiations had already been going on for some time before Trump came into office."

Greg Myre explains that President Trump's claims of ending eight wars are an exaggeration. Myre clarifies that many of these situations were minor conflicts or ongoing negotiations, not fully resolved wars. This highlights a pattern of Trump taking credit for diplomatic progress that was already underway or involved limited conflict.

"You know, there's still fighting going on in the Congo, Congo and Rwanda. You got Congolese rebels who are still, you know, really pushing. This Thailand and Cambodia, there's questions about, uh, who's firing on who. When I talk to foreign policy pundits, they are very happy that Trump is putting this much bandwidth, administration bandwidth, behind seeking peace in the world, particularly in some of these conflicts that generally and historically don't get this much attention from a White House, from an administration."

Greg Myre points out that despite President Trump's claims, conflicts persist in places like the Congo and Thailand. Myre notes that foreign policy experts appreciate the administration's focus on these less-covered conflicts. This suggests a nuanced view of Trump's foreign policy achievements, acknowledging attention given while questioning the extent of resolution.

"The one thing that's actually been pretty surprising is his willingness to use the military. He has bombed Iran, he bombed the Houthis in Yemen for weeks, he's bombing suspected drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean, he's put a large U.S. military presence in the region also and threatening possible military action against Venezuela. People were not expecting this level of turning to the military that that Trump has displayed so far."

Greg Myre expresses surprise at President Trump's increased use of military force, citing actions in Iran, Yemen, the Caribbean, and Venezuela. Myre indicates that this level of military engagement was unexpected, contrasting with some of Trump's previous rhetoric. This observation suggests a divergence between Trump's stated foreign policy principles and his actual actions.

"The one point I would make is he's using to this point, um, air strikes, bombing missions, things that can be turned on and turned off really with the snap of a finger. He hasn't put troops on the ground, and I think that's something we should keep a very careful eye on. But, uh, again, you you see peace efforts, you see tariffs and insults to allies, you see the use of military force, so he's been a very active foreign policy president in his first year."

Greg Myre analyzes President Trump's use of military force, noting a preference for air strikes and bombing missions that are easily initiated and stopped. Myre highlights that Trump has avoided deploying ground troops, which he suggests is a critical distinction to monitor. Myre concludes that Trump has pursued a multifaceted and active foreign policy, encompassing peace efforts, trade disputes, and military actions.

"I think what you're seeing is Trump kind of breaking the world up into these spheres of influence where Russia and Putin has its sphere of influence, China has its sphere of influence, and the United States has its sphere of influence, and they kind of try to keep it separate and have their own kind of world."

Franco Ordoñez describes President Trump's foreign policy approach as dividing the world into distinct spheres of influence for major powers like Russia, China, and the United States. Ordoñez suggests that this strategy aims to maintain separate domains for each nation. This interpretation points to a departure from traditional U.S. foreign policy, which has historically sought broader global engagement.

"We will assert and enforce a Trump corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. And for those of you who might not have been paying attention in high school when we taught the Monroe Doctrine, just remind us."

Greg Myre quotes a statement from the national security strategy, indicating an intention to reinforce a "Trump corollary to the Monroe Doctrine." Myre explains that this doctrine historically established the Western Hemisphere as an American zone of influence, free from European interference. This quote and explanation suggest a renewed emphasis on U.S. dominance in its regional sphere.