
Foreign Policy Live Is Trump America’s First Post-Unipolar President?
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Sep 5, 2025 Emma Ashford, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, discusses the evolving nature of U.S. foreign policy in a post-unipolar world. She argues that the U.S. is no longer the unchallenged superpower and emphasizes the need for adaptive strategies, especially in relation to rising powers like China. The conversation covers influences on American foreign policy perspectives, from 'America First' to progressive views, and touches on how public sentiment, particularly among younger generations, is shifting towards collaboration in international relations.
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Prioritize Interests And Empower Allies
- Prioritize narrow national interests and avoid grand transformative projects that overextend the U.S.
- Empower allies by shifting burdens and building their capabilities rather than acting as sole global enforcer.
Realism Can Be Ethical
- Realism need not be amoral; prioritizing Americans' interests can be an ethical stance.
- Ashford locates realist internationalism as morally defensible stewardship of U.S. resources.
Orderly Primacy Is Unrecoverable
- Accepting a less orderly multipolar world may be realistic because U.S. primacy can't be perfectly restored.
- Ashford urges choosing the least-bad option rather than chasing a lost unipolar past.




