Trump’s National Security Strategy

An Incoherent Disaster Filled With Grievance That Punishes Allies and Cedes Terrain and Initiative to Enemies

This post provides an in-depth breakdown of key parts of the National Security Strategy and why it represents not only a major departure from previous trends in American foreign policy but also a threat to American interests.

Dear readers,

On Friday evening I shared my initial take on the 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) published by the White House. Public commentary and responses from European leaders, State Department officials, and administration-adjacent figures have only solidified my initial read on the document. This analysis further reviews Trump’s roadmap for American national security and foreign policy. The bottom line up front: This “strategy” eases pressure on U.S. adversaries, seeks to coerce allies, and binds U.S. influence to the Western Hemisphere while ceding influence in Europe to Russia and influence in Asia to China. This will upend decades of U.S. strategy across both Republican and Democrat administrations which will result in the exact opposite of the strat…