The Predatory Hegemon
Foreign Affairs • • world
Key Points:
- Donald Trump's second-term foreign policy is characterized as "predatory hegemony," aiming to exploit U.S. dominance to extract concessions and deference from both allies and adversaries, prioritizing short-term, zero-sum gains.
- This approach contrasts with past U.S. strategies that balanced leadership with cooperation and mutual benefit, and is ill-suited for a multipolar world where rivals like China offer alternatives to U.S. influence.
- Trump's use of tariffs, threats to withdraw military support, and demands for symbolic submission have strained alliances, encouraged other nations to seek new partnerships, and undermined global institutions and norms.
- While Trump claims economic and strategic successes, many benefits are overstated, and his policies risk weakening U.S. security,