Donald Trump has now officially taken over the reins of American foreign policy, after having done so less officially (mostly via Twitter) during the transition. Prediction is a dangerous game, and, as many observers have noted, Trump’s comments on foreign policy have been anything but consistent thus far.
Even so, I think we can discern the broad outlines of an emerging Trump Doctrine. Three key themes, in particular, will shape Trump’s decision-making on foreign policy.



The most fundamental pillar of the doctrine is Trump’s “America First” nationalism. It is a rejection of the idea that the U.S. is obligated to worry about the rest of the world.
Although Republicans and Democrats spend a lot of time criticizing each other, foreign policy leaders from both parties have generally been in agreement since 9/11. They see the fundamental goals of American grand strategy as preserving American primacy, while meddling incessantly around the globe to produce outcomes seen as beneficial to U.S. security and to global order.