Trump's Terms

Historian talks about how Trump is forging a new world order

Mar 20, 2026
A historian unpacks how current foreign policy reshapes global order and U.S. responsibilities after 1945. Discussion covers bold actions toward Iran and a shift from subtle control to blunt, candid motives. The conversation examines treating global policing as a cost and an open focus on resources like oil.
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INSIGHT

Trump Treats Global Policing As A Cost

  • Daniel Immerwahr argues Trump views U.S. global policing as an expense rather than a strategic benefit.
  • Trump asked during his 2016 campaign, Why are we policing the world and suggested allies should pay, overturning long-standing presidential consensus.
INSIGHT

Postwar U.S. Saw Global Stability As National Security

  • Historically the U.S. accepted responsibility for global stability, expanding national security to global scope.
  • The 9-11 Commission phrased it starkly: the American homeland is the planet, reflecting that expansive mindset.
INSIGHT

Indifference To Control Replaces Imperial Management

  • Immerwahr says Trump shows indifference to the central goal of empire: control over outcomes overseas.
  • Trump prefers menacing options and accepts a wide range of outcomes, describing a 'tremendous capacity for risk' in foreign affairs.
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