Trump sheds his MAGA isolationism during Middle East trip
CNN
For a leader who campaigned on a promise of “America First” with deep isolationist strains, the first major overseas trip of President Donald Trump’s second term signaled he may be emerging as more of a globalist.
For a leader who campaigned on a promise of “America First” with deep isolationist strains, the first major overseas trip of President Donald Trump’s second term signaled he may be breaking from the foreign policy doctrine of his first term – and emerging as more of a globalist. At least when it suits him. He’s already spent his first few months aggressively transforming the role of the US in the world, and his four-day trip through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates this week has underscored how dramatically he has reimagined traditional alliances and inserted himself into global conflicts. His decision to end sanctions on Syria and become the first US president to meet with a Syrian leader in 25 years signaled an element of risk and engagement that is hardly part of the MAGA credo and does not fit neatly with the viewpoint of some of his most ardent conservative allies. His meeting with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, while behind closed doors, may well be remembered for producing the most important moment of his journey. During the trip, Trump implied he played a leading role in easing the rapidly rising tensions in India and Pakistan. He suggested the Iran nuclear talks could take a “violent course” if Tehran doesn’t adequately respond to “friendly” negotiations with US officials. He said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would only engage in peace talks if Trump is personally involved. And he talked about the US establishing a “freedom zone” in war-torn Gaza. “My priority is to end conflicts, not to start them,” Trump told troops Thursday at the Al Udeid Air Base. “But I will never hesitate to wield American power, if it’s necessary, to defend the United States of America or our partners.”
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