Trump’s War Paradox |
Donald Trump has long styled himself as a man of peace, a leader determined to end America’s “forever wars.” Yet the reality of his second term tells a very different story. From Africa to the Middle East to the Caribbean, U.S. military power is being projected more aggressively than at any time in recent years, often outside clear multilateral mandates and sometimes against the wishes of the nations affected. The paradox is striking: a president who boasts of stopping wars now presides over an expanding web of military strikes, naval seizures, economic blockades, and strategic pressure campaigns that are reshaping how the world sees the United States.
In late December 2025, U.S. airstrikes in northwest Nigeria targeted militants linked to alleged ISIS. The operation was presented as a counter-terror measure, with Washington emphasizing the need to hit extremist networks before they metastasize. American firepower raining down on a sovereign African nation on Christmas Day, reinforcing the impression that the United States reserves the right to strike anywhere it perceives a threat, whether or not there is a public, formal mandate from international bodies. For many Nigerians, the attack stirred anger and unease, highlighting how fragile sovereignty can become when global superpowers decide their security extends into another nation’s airspace.
Just days earlier, the United States had already intensified air operations in Syria following the deaths of American personnel in an attack blamed on Islamic State affiliates. What was once framed as a limited U.S. footprint in Syria has quietly evolved into a semi-permanent military presence, supported by regular offensive strikes. Trump may describe these operations as decisive anti-terror action, but to much of the world they appear as continued involvement in a foreign conflict with no end in sight, in a country where the United Nations never authorized an open-ended U.S. role.
Somalia tells a similar story. Throughout 2025, U.S.........