The recent, and arguably illegal, seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces has sparked debate over the direction of American foreign policy. But to understand President Trump’s actions, observers might do well to look back to his origins as a new York real estate developer.
A doctrine Rooted in Dealmaking
The question isn’t whether Trump has a grand strategy, but whether his foreign policy is simply a reflection of his business instincts.
In 2018,an anonymous former Trump governance official dismissed the notion that the president’s decisions were strategic or sophisticated. “Trump was not playing ‘the sort of three-dimensional chess people ascribe to [his] decisions,'” the aide said. “More often than not he’s just eating the pieces.” This observation feels notably relevant as analysts attempt to frame the abduction of Maduro as a calculated move to reassert U.S. influence in Latin America, invoking the Monroe Doctrine as justification.
The November National Security Strategy document, outlining the administration’s vision of U.S. hegemony,reads more like a collection of buzzwords and military jargon than a coherent plan. The document even attempts to *define* the word “strategy,” revealing a fundamental misunderstanding of the concept. It relies heavily on dictionary definitions, a tactic common among students struggling to meet an essay assignment.
The chaotic and seemingly random nature of Trump’s actions offers the most plausible explanation. It’s arduous to reconcile his behavior with established principles of American grand strategy or the teachings of political theorists like Thucydides or Morgenthau. those around him who might possess a coherent plan have limited influence on his decision-making.
From Manhattan to the World Stage
Trump’s guiding foreign policy doctrine appears to stem from his experience in New York City real estate during the 1980s. He craved the respect of the Manhattan elite, but concurrently enjoyed the trappings of celebrity and excess. Most New Yorkers weren’t openly hostile to him at the time. Much like someone stuck in their high school glory days, Trump now approaches global power as a larger version of his past world.
He isn’t interested in spheres of influence, but spheres of ownership. Trump believes everything is negotiable, buyable, or manipulable. This week, he renewed threats to purchase Greenland, viewing a country as simply another piece of real estate. His allies readily play along.
following the Caracas raid, Trump gleefully described the operation as if it were a scene from an action movie, detached from the real-world consequences. other nations are simply places to own property and make deals.
As The New York Times reported in May, “Some close observers of Mr. Trump…caution against thinking his actions and statements are strategic…he does not have a vision of a world order.”
That’s not entirely true. Trump lacks a vision rooted in global concerns, but he does envision a world where he reigns supreme, possessing all the “toys”-or at least those he hasn’t already seized.
