11. Conservative American Nationalism: The Trump Doctrine in Theory and Practice

This chapter examines Trump’s foreign policy thinking and initiatives. The most fitting conceptual name for the Trump Doctrine is Conservative American Nationalism. It is a framework that is composed of six essential elements: (1) An America First premise in Trump policies; (2) An emphasis on American National Identity as a cornerstone of America’s elemental and dual relationship with itself and the world; (3) Highly selective involvement, with a non-exclusive emphasis on its own terms and interests in defining America’s role in the world; (4) An emphasis on American strength in all its forms, resilience, and resolve; (5) The use of maximum repeated pressure along a continuum of points in pursuit of key goals; and (6) Maximum tactical and strategic flexibility. That doctrine is at least as much a reflection of Trump’s psychology as it is of his thinking and the chapter explores its relationship to his emphasis on action and results, his ambition, the use of force, and the future of the Trump doctrine.