President Donald Trump is set to deliver his third State of the Union address on February 4, 2020. At a recent speech in Davos, Switzerland, he claimed, “America is winning again like never before.” But on foreign policy, Trump’s record is straight losses.
In his 2019 State of the Union, Trump promised “to pursue a foreign policy that puts America’s interests first.” But rather than advance American interests, he has put his own political priorities and ego above traditional U.S. foreign policy goals. Trump is being impeached for putting national security in jeopardy for his own personal gain, but he has endangered national security in myriad other ways, too: He has alienated allies and cozied up to friendly dictators, started distracting trade wars, and appears to have backtracked on U.S. commitments simply because his predecessor pursued them. Trump may claim the state of the union is strong, but his administration’s actions and policies tell a different story.
Escalated conflict in the Middle East
In last year’s address, President Trump declared, “Great nations do not fight endless wars.” But rather than ending forever wars, Trump is sending more U.S. soldiers into conflict. A few weeks ago, he recklessly escalated tensions in the Middle East by ordering a strike on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps General Qassem Soleimani, after which a significant majority of Americans reported feeling “less safe.” In response to the escalating tensions with Iran, Trump has ordered more than 20,000 additional troops to the region; a U.S. commander said the soldiers could remain there for “quite a while.” Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, despite last year’s pledge to hold “constructive talks” and “accelerated” negotiations, the United States dropped more bombs and munitions in 2019 than in any other year since the U.S. Air Force began tracking them in 2006. And according to the United Nations, civilian casualties reached the highest level in the Afghanistan war’s history, in part due to U.S. strikes. Continue reading.