The Realignment: Trump’s Vision for American Power and the Changing World Order

Photo by Edz Norton on Unsplash

Donald Trump’s recent reshaping of U.S. foreign policy marks a decisive break with decades of Western alliance tradition, prompting intense debate over America’s global role and relationships. This shift represents a fundamental rethinking of American interests and strategic priorities in ways that have profound implications for global security architecture, international norms, and the future balance of power.

Ronald Reagan laid out his vision for the West in 1984, at the 40th anniversary of the Normandy landings. “The strength of America’s allies is vital to the United States,” he said. “We were with you then; we are with you now. Your hopes are our hopes, and your destiny is our destiny.” These words crystallized a post-World War II consensus that had guided American foreign policy through decades of Cold War tension and beyond.

In recent weeks, that vision appears to have been swept into the dustbin of history. Donald Trump’s wholesale abandonment of Ukraine, coupled with JD Vance’s stinging attack on America’s European…