Donald Trump is not a strategic thinker but an incredible force of nature. He is, at best, a reactive tactician. He enters complex situations with blunt force, mistakes disruption for strength, and leaves others to calculate the damage. This pattern has defined his domestic politics. It now defines American power.

Set aside the chaos at home — the deployment of federal immigration forces, ICE, into US cities, the protests that followed, and the deaths of civilians caught in the spiral of escalation. Set aside the unsubstantiated claim that he “ended eight wars,” the exaggeration of tariff revenues, and the myth of effortless dominance. What matters is the perceived image. Trump is viewed as a raging bull in a chinaware shop, confusing destruction with determination and scaring his allies. “Mr. President, if we get to November of 2026 and people’s 401(k)s are down 30 per cent and prices are up 10–20 per cent at the supermarket, we’re going to face a bloodbath. You’re going to lose the House, you’re going to lose the Senate, and you’re going to spend the next two years being impeached every single week;” a remark attributed to Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) from leaked audio of a private donor meeting in 2025/2026, where Cruz sharply criticised the economic fallout of Trump’s sweeping tariffs.

Trump’s foreign policy is not anchored in sound doctrine or restraint, but in impulse and grievance. Allies and adversaries are treated interchangeably — as obstacles to be coerced rather than partners to be managed. Canada is publicly threatened. “The tone with which the President and his cabinet members have engaged with our allies is both shocking and offensive. By threatening a NATO ally over Greenland, he has put at question our trustworthiness and........

© Middle East Monitor