Lee Jong-eun

During the start of the Cold War, the U.S. Republican Party experienced internal debates over which regions of the world the U.S. should prioritize. The Trans-Atlanticist Republicans, such as Senator Arthur Vandenberg, favored prioritizing Europe’s security from Soviet expansion. They supported the Truman Administration’s Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe and establish the NATO Alliance. The “Asia First” Republicans, such as Senator Bob Taft, advocated for the U.S. to focus on confronting communism in Asia. These Republicans criticized President Truman for excessive involvement in Europe while allowing the fall of China to communism. Many also criticized Truman’s handling of the Korean War as too cautious and were supportive of General MacArthur’s advocacy for a more aggressive confrontation against communist China.

In the 1952 U.S. presidential election, Dwight Eisenhower, supported by Trans-Atlanticist Republicans, defeated Senator Taft to become the Republican presidential nominee. After being elected President, Eisenhower ended the Korean War with an armistice, avoided intervention in the French-Indochina War, and maintained its security commitment in Europe. Since then, the Trans-Atlanticist foreign policy was supported by the U.S. Republican Party and its presidents.

In recent years, however, the foreign policy consensus within the Republican Party has changed. There is growing skepticism toward the U.S.' security commitment in Europe, while advocacy for confronting China in the Asia-Pacific region has become prevalent. The U.S. Republicans are increasingly supportive of policies that risk conflicts with China, such as........

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