In brief
Examining President Trump's second-term foreign policy reveals a pronounced shift from established international norms towards a zero-sum mentality that prioritizes self-interest over collaboration.
What is President Trump’s strategy in global relations? As he continues his second term, this question seems increasingly significant. It appears that Mr. Trump's foreign policy is grounded in the belief that global interactions are essentially a zero-sum game. This approach posits that one party's gain is inherently another party's loss, marking a departure from the post-World War II international order, which traditionally favored a cooperative and positive-sum perspective.In the established international system, the concept is that relationships and trade agreements yield collective benefits—prosperity and stability for all players involved, albeit with unequal distributions. This framework has historically supported democracy, international trade, and legal systems that have promoted peace.Since the 1980s, Trump's rhetoric and tactics suggest skepticism towards this cooperative philosophy. Where others envision partnerships yielding shared successes, he views interactions primarily through the lens of competition, winners against losers. Consequently, this zero-sum lens is shaping his administration's foreign policy approach, marking significant implications for America's role on the global stage and the future of international relations.
