President Trump’s first term and U.S. foreign and security policy: Looking back and ahead

Donald J. Trump came to office as a disruptive president, who campaigned on economic protectionism and America First nationalism. He further vowed to undermine the Washington foreign policy establishment through the prodigious use of Executive Orders. While we may have been spared former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon’s goal of bringing down the institutions of the state, the world has not emerged unscathed after four years of Trump in the White House. As Americans prepare to cast their vote in the November elections, a look back on Trump’s foreign policy as well as a look ahead is a valuable exercise. This article first considers how Trump affected U.S. foreign policy and second what are the most important foreign and security issues that loom over the horizon, for whomever wins the election.