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Sebastian Ibarra

Dr. Nuzzo

POLS-1600-01

4 May 2021

Trump's Realist Foreign Policy

When Donald Trump became president, one of his main objectives was to change how

the United States conducted foreign policy. To President Trump, the Obama administration

failed in serving America’s interests abroad and as result had to change its approach in how it

conducted business and engage with international institutions, allies, and even enemies. The

Trump administration’s approach to foreign policy most thoroughly employed the theory of

realism in international relations. This is proved by how the Trump administration attempted to

build up its nuclear arsenal in comparison with the rest of the world and its efforts to oppose

international institutions and impose additional tariffs under the guise of seeking security and

receiving fair benefits between nations. Some would argue that the Trump administration

employed liberalism in its attempts to facilitate cooperation with nations such as North Korea

and satisfy domestic interests, however this view ignores the administration’s ardent

commitment to realism that resulted in failures in diplomacy and increasing difficulties in

international relations that only harmed the domestic actors’ interests and adhered to the interests

of those in power. Unlike previous administration, the Trump administration aggressively

pursued the build up of military power and security.

President Trump’s efforts to expand the United States nuclear armament clearly

demonstrates his realist approach to foreign policy by demonstrating his desire to increase the

military power of the state. Trump’s efforts are clearly displayed by Foreign Affairs journalist
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Nina Tannenwald stating “since taking office, Trump has ushered in a frightening new world of

nuclear excess. The president has not only enthusiastically embraced Obama’s modernization

program but also committed the United States to an even more expansion of its nuclear arsenal.

Nearly every element of the U.S. nuclear arsenal is slated to be upgraded, at a mind-boggling

cost of $1.7 trillion over the next 30 years”1. One of the primary dominating interests of a realist

nation is gain additional security and power. The Trump administration perfectly encapsulated

this interest with it aggressive desire for nuclear armament. As through upgrading military

capabilities and increasing nuclear expenditures, it is clearly shown that the Trump

administration employed realism in international relations by attempting to achieve additional

power and security through nuclear means. The Trump administration also employed realism in

international relations through its diplomacy with foreign nations.

The Trump administration’s efforts to undermine international institutions and engage in

trade conflicts through tariffs reveals clearly how in international relations realism was

employed. President Trump’s disdain for international institutions and trade agreements are

revealed by Washington Post journalists David A, Lake and Peter Gourevitch stating that “the

administration has called into question the U.S. commitment to NATO, threatened to pull the

United States out of the WTO and NAFTA, and imposed tariffs on our partners under the

dubious national security rationales. In doing so, the president not only abdicates U.S. leadership

of these international institution but also threatens the order built by his predecessors”2. In
1
Nina Tannenwald, “The Vanishing Nuclear Taboo?,” Foreign Affairs,

November/December, 2018,

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/world/2018-10-15/vanishing-nuclear-taboo.
2
David A. Lake and Peter Gourevitch, “Hundreds of scholars have signed a statement

defending the international institutions that Trump has attacked,” The Washington Post, August,
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realism, cooperation between different states through institutions is difficult as states worry

about being exploited and not receiving the fair number of benefits they deserve, which the

Trump administration demonstrated with its actions. As by threatening international institutions

such as NAFTA and the WTO, the Trump administration only created additional difficulties in

maintaining firm diplomatic ties with dozens of foreign nations that have agreed to participate

and cooperate in these international institutions. As well, by increasing tariffs on other countries,

the Trump administration once again exemplified realism in international relations as it

demonstrates the state’s worry of being exploited by foreign nations and the division of potential

resources or earnings. Despite the previously mentioned examples showcasing the Trump

administration employing realism in international relations, some have argued that the

administration did engage in liberalism in attempting to cooperate with countries such as North

Korea.

President Trump’s attempt to negotiate a fair nuclear disarmament agreement with North

Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un to some demonstrated the Trump administration’s practice of

liberalism in international relations. As regarding President Trumps actions, Los Angeles Times

journalist Doyle McManus states that “he was holding peace talks with North Korea aimed at

dismantling Kim Jong Un’s nuclear arsenal and ending a 70-year-old conflict”3. Liberalism

promotes the idea of cooperation between states that both share a common interest and the idea

2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/08/14/hundreds-of-

scholars-have-signed-a-statement-defending-the-international-institutions-that-trump-has-

attacked/.
3
Doyle McManus, “For Trump, foreign policy has soured too,” The Los Angeles Times,

July, 2020, https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-07-01/for-trump-foreign-policy-has-

soured-too.
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of progress being possible by states interacting with one another to find a mutually beneficial

agreement. President Trump and Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un had the common interest in

engaging in peace talks and attempting to formulate a mutually beneficial agreement that serves

both the United States’ interests of denuclearizing North Korea and North Korea’s interests of

the U.S. removing sanctions. By sharing a common interest and cooperating with one another

through peace talks, the Untied States relationship with North Korea made progress, which

displays how the Trump administration did employ liberalism in international relations in its

attempts to cooperate with different states. However, the efforts made by the Trump

administration proved to be unproductive as an agreement between the 2 nations was never

made.

Despite some claiming this act to be purely showcasing liberalism, the failure of the

peace talks in establishing cooperation and an agreement that is mutually beneficial showcases

how ultimately the Trump Administration employed realism in its foreign policy. As Doyle

McManus demonstrates by stating that “the president personal summitry with Kim Jong Un has

deadlocked; the North Korean leader is testing missiles and manufacturing nuclear warheads

again”4. The failure of the peace talks between the U.S. and North Korea ultimately display the

Trump administration employed realism in international relations. As despite the significant

potential gain of nuclear peace and reducing tensions between nations, the Trump administration

failed to effectively cooperate with North Korea. As the interests of each nation were in conflict

with one another, resulting in only an escalation of nuclear arms in North Korea, despite the U.S.

desiring a disarmament. Some have also argued that due to President Trump seeking to appease
4
Doyle McManus, “For Trump, foreign policy has soured too,” The Los Angeles Times,

July, 2020, https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-07-01/for-trump-foreign-policy-has-

soured-too.
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domestic interests with his foreign policy plan, his administration employed liberalism in

international relations.

The Trump administration’s attempts to satisfy it supporter base with its foreign policy

does reflect the theory of liberalism by aligning with the idea that domestic interests shape state

behavior. This is evident as Associate Professor of History Mara Oliva states that “the Trump

administration’s priority was to maintain support from its isolationist electoral base”5. The

liberalism theory supports the bottom-up notion that domestic actors within a state attempt to

realize their interests by influencing foreign policy of their state. The Trump administration’s

ardent support of the idea of “America first” in foreign policy as proposed by Trump reflects the

liberalism theory through its efforts to satisfy the domestic electoral actors that gave their support

to Trump becoming president. As by maintaining an isolationist stance, the Trump

administration ensured the support of the domestic actors that gave it power and demonstrated

how the state’s foreign policy was impacted and shaped by domestic interests. Even though the

Trump administration acted in a specific manner in foreign policy due to domestic actors voting

Trump into office, the administration would ultimately pursue the interests of President Trump.

Despite some claiming that the Trump administration’s efforts to appease domestic actors

demonstrated the theory of liberalism, ultimately the Trump administration actions employed

realism in international relations by increasing difficulties in international institutions that

President Trump exclusively had major issues with, which only led to issues in cooperation and

further problems for the domestic actors in the state. As both Lake and Gourevicth suggest that

“the institutions that Trump criticizes as unfair have, over the long run, generally served U.S.
5
Mara Oliva, “The foreign policy legacy that Donald Trump leaves Joe Biden,” The

Conversation, November, 2020, https://theconversation.com/the-foreign-policy-legacy-that-

donald-trump-leaves-joe-biden-148573.
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interests around the globe. True, U.S. allies in NATO have not contributed equally, either

financially or militarily. But the United States has always commanded NATO and shaped its

policies”6. By the Trump administration effectively acting in accord to Trump’s beliefs in regard

to foreign policy, it demonstrated one of the key aspects of realism which focuses on the state

being the dominant actor. Furthermore, in criticizing the international institutions such as NATO

that have given support to the U.S. and the domestic actors that reside in the state, the Trump

administration had effectively gone against the interests the domestic actors, meaning their

desires are not accurately reflected in foreign policy. As well by criticizing international

institutions, the Trump administration only made cooperation with other states who are

associated with institutions such as NATO more difficult due to the division of benefits that

these institutions bring. Therefore, the Trump administration more strongly employed realism in

international relations with foreign nations and institutions.

The Trump administration only lasted from 2016-2020, however its impact on how the

United States acted in international relations was significant due to employing the realism theory

in how acted with international institutions and other nations. Which resulted in the U.S. during

the Trump administration not hesitating and rapidly building up its military might through

nuclear weaponry. As well it resulted in the U.S. criticizing the international institutions that for

decades have provided order and granted benefits to U.S. interests. Additionally, neighboring

nations were forced to undergo trade wars through tariffs due to conflicting interests. All
6
David A. Lake and Peter Gourevitch, “Hundreds of scholars have signed a statement

defending the international institutions that Trump has attacked,” The Washington Post, August,

2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/08/14/hundreds-of-

scholars-have-signed-a-statement-defending-the-international-institutions-that-trump-has-

attacked/.
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stemming from the theory of realism that the Trump administration employed, resulting in the

desire to achieve more power, security, and new agreements that made cooperation between

states and international institutions difficult. Even though there were moments of liberalism in

the Trump administration’s approach to foreign policy in adhering to domestic interests and

attempting to cooperate with North Korea, in the end the Trump administration ultimately

employed the theory of realism in operating in international relations.